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J. G. Bishop, D. D. 



A BIBLICAL VIEW OF 
THE CHURCH 

(Second Edition) 

WITH A BRIEF TREATISE ON SIX FUNDA- 
MENTAL TRUTHS OF CHRISTIANITY 

By Rev. J. G. Bishop, D. D. 

AUTHOR OF BIBLICAL VIEW, FIRST EDITION, 
THE CHRISTIANS AND THE GREAT COM- 
MISSION, MONEY AND THE KINGDOM, 
A BIBLE LESSON ON CHRISTIAN 
BAPTISM, ETC. 




"The Entrance of the Words Giveth Light" 



INTRODUCTION 
By Rev. John Franklin Burnett, D. D. 



By the Author 
Dayton, Ohio 



The Christian Publishing Association, Dayton, Ohio. 

OCT -1 ibl8 

■©CI.A501970 



TO 
MY WIFE, EMILY K. BISHOP 

WHO HAS BEEN A FAITHFUL CO-WORKER IN ALL 

THE Lord has given us to do during all the years 

OP OUR MARRIED LIFE, 

AND TO 

All Ministers, and others who love pure 

Bible Truth; and long for the Unity of the 

Church of Jesus Christ, for which He 

so earnestly prayed, is this small 

volume affectionately dedicated. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Chapter Page 


1. 


The Oneness of the Church - 


21 


2. 


Basic Principle — Scriptures Suf- 






ficient - - - - 


41 


3. 


Christian Character Test of Fel- 






lowship - - - - 


63 


4. 


The Name, Christian 


79 


5. 


Some Truths — Doctrine, Funda- 






mental - - - - 


95 


6. 


Knowledge and Faith in God - 


103 


7. 


Jesus Christ the Son of God - 


115 


8. 


The Holy Spirit - 


127 



FOREWORD 

THE matter contained in this book was 
not prepared by appointment of any 
conference, convention, or other body 
of Christians ; hence it is not given as author- 
itative, only as Scriptural truth is authorita- 
tive. The author has not written as a special 
spokesman for any distinct body of people. 
Yet he is glad to say that there is a body 
of believers denominated the "Christians," 
or more generally, the "Christian Church," 
which holds substantially the views presented 
in this book. But this treatise is not given 
alone for this body of Christians, but for all 
who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, 
and desire to know and be in harmony with 
His thought in relation to His Church on the 
earth. 

As will be seen, reference has a few times 
been made to denominations of Christians, 
sometimes referring to them by name; that 
the terms "sect" and "sectarianism" are used ; 
and that in this second edition reference is 
sometimes made to certain theological terms 
and tenets, which, in the judgment of the 
author, are not in harmony with the teach- 



12 FOREWORD 

ings of the Bible when properly interpreted. 
But the author wishes here to state that when 
such references are made it is not in any 
invidious sense, acrimonious spirit, or with 
any unrighteous motive. It is in the natural 
and legitimate meaning of the words that 
they are used; and then only that the truth 
may the more readily be seen and appre- 
ciated. 

As a rule the author has spoken in positive 
terms, because his faith on those points is 
positive, founded upon his convictions of the 
teachings of God's Word — not on the tradi- 
tions of men brought down from the dark 
ages. 

The first edition of the "Biblical View of 
the Church" has been exhausted for some 
time, during which time there have been calls 
for it. It has been used as a text book in 
some of our schools. The President of one 
of our colleges writes me that he desires to 
so use it the coming year. 

The first edition has been carefully revised, 
and enlarged by four additional chapters, 
giving a "Biblical View" of six points of 
Bible Truths (or doctrine) which are con- 
sidered as fundamental in Christianity. 

If the book presents any matters that to 
any one seems new or strange, or that the 



FOREWORD 13 

reader has never tested for himself by the 
Word of God, we commend the example of 
the Bereans, who were declared to be "More 
noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they 
received the word with all readiness of mind, 
and searched the scriptures daily whether 
those things were so." (Acts 17: 11.) 

In most cases not only is the book, chap- 
ter and verse given where the quotation may 
be found, but the quotation itself is given. 
This because the Scripture contains, or refers 
to, the specific truth or fact under considera- 
tion ; and if only the place where it is found 
is given, the reader may not have a Bible at 
hand, or may not feel to have the time to 
hunt up the passage, and so is deprived of 
the full assurance and strength that the read- 
ing and study of the passage itself would 
give. 

That God may bless the careful reading 
and study of this small volume to the 
strengthening of faith in the teachings of the 
Bible, solidifying Christian character, and 
helping in some degree in forwarding the 
cause of Christian and Church Unity, is the 
humble wish and sincere prayer of the 
author. 

J. G. B. 



INTRODUCTION 

IT is not the purpose of this brief note to 
do more than introduce to its readers 
the well known author of the book, "A 
Biblical View of the Church." Rev. Josiah 
Goodman Bishop has lived too long among us, 
and wrought too well, to need an elaborate 
introduction to the people whom he asks to 
read the following pages. The Rev. Doctor 
has all his lifetime been a preacher of right- 
eousness, and represents in his character and 
teaching that sturdy, rugged type of man- 
hood and forcefulness of expression which 
has always characterized the man of faith. 
He was born into the world and called of 
God to preach the gospel of his grace, at a 
time when his adopted state (Iowa) was yet 
young, and the people called Christians but 
little known or understood, and greatly hand- 
icapped because of their smallness in num- 
bers, compared with the then popular 
churches of the country. His first training 
was that of the itinerant preacher, riding 
horseback to his appointments, and in lieu 
of a holster carried saddlebags, which were 
always filled with books to read, study and 



16 INTRODUCTION 

circulate among the people. But though his 
early training was confined to the school of 
the pioneer, he later on attended the Chris- 
tian Biblical Institute at Stanfordville, New 
York, and had the distinction of reciting to 
that noted teacher of modem times, the Rev. 
Austin Craig, D. D., president of the school, 
since which time, with his life-long habit of 
study, he has pursued his investigations until 
now, when in the dawning days of his immor- 
tality, he is especially fitted to speak on the 
subjects discussed in this book. 

The permanent value of such a book as A 
Biblical View of the Church cannot well be 
over-rated or over-stated. All knowledge is 
good, desirable in itself, and desirable for the 
sake of the power and polish which it adds to 
character, but especially is knowledge nec- 
essary when it helps either to create or con- 
firm our faith in the great truths of Chris- 
tianity. We should know the truth, for the 
truth alone can make us free. The writer 
takes strong ground on all the phases of the 
church he discusses, and for this he is to be 
commended. One need not fear to take 
strong ground when dealing with the truth 
as revealed in The Book. God does not accept 
a blind faith. We should know what we be- 
lieve and why we believe it. Doctor Bishop 



INTRODUCTION 17 

sets forth in clear, strong light what he be- 
lieves, and why he believes it. He believes it 
because it is so written in The Book. God, 
who gave us our reason, appeals to our reason 
in all matters pertaining to His Kingdom, 
and He enjoins us to always be ready to give 
a reason for the hope that is within us. Such 
an answer is impossible in the absence of real 
faith, and real faith is impossible without 
adequate knowledge. In this book will be 
found the reason for believing in the Church 
described by its builder and the source of 
knowledge from which such reason comes. 
All too much in these days is the church 
being discredited, supplanted, and criticised. 
The criticism on the church is wide-spread; 
it is in the books we study, in the papers we 
read, in the conversation of our friends, in 
the tone and utterance of the pulpit, in the 
very air we breathe, and is slowly, but surely, 
finding its way into the life and activities of 
the church itself ; and the author seeks to pre- 
sent the church in a light and with a char- 
acter that would lift it above criticism. The 
contention of the writer is for a church that 
will stand the test of truth, and a member- 
ship born into it, of which, when men shall 
take knowledge they may know that it is the 
church that Jesus Christ is building upon The 



18 INTRODUCTION 

Rock. A study of the several chapters will 
convince the enquirer after truth of the care- 
ful investigativ.*.!, the close reasoning, the 
fairness of interpretation, the correct appli- 
cation, and the logical conclusions of the 
writer through all the lanes of thought 
through which he has traveled. 

The reader will find no ambiguity of 
phrase; no wandering, meaningless sen- 
tences; no paragraph put in to fill up; no 
sky-rocket display of words; no attempt at 
eloquence of utterance, but lucid recital, 
glowing description, earnest thought, exten- 
sive research, and genial feeling throughout 
the entire work, and should this production 
be tested by severe standards of excellence 
it would not fall short of the required meas- 
urement. 

J. F. Burnett. 

Dayton, Ohio. 



''Neither pray I for these alone, but 
for them also who shall believe on me 
through their word; that they all may be 
one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I 
in thee, that they also may be one in us; 
that the world may believe that thou 
didst send me. And the glory which 
thou gavest me I have given them; that 
they may be one, even as we are one; 
I in them and thou in me, that they may 
be made perfect in one; and that the 
world may know that thou didst send 
me, and hast loved them, as thou hast 
loved me."— John 17 : 20-24. 



CHAPTER I. 



THE ONENESS OR UNITY OF THE 
CHURCH 



"Upon this rock I will build my church." — Matt. 
16:18. 

THAT is a remakable passage recorded 
in Matthew, sixteenth chapter, thir- 
teenth to the eighteenth verses inclu- 
sive. It clearly implies that it does make 
some difference what a man believes. Christ 
would test His disciples as to their opinion 
concerning Himself, as to the soundness of 
their faith in the Messiah, the world's Re- 
deemer. He begins by interrogating as to 
the opinions of the people in reference to 
Himself. Then He makes it personal, "But 
whom say ye that I am?" Peter answers 
promptly: "Thou art the Christ, the Son 
of the living God. And Jesus answered 
and said unto him. Blessed art thou, Simon 
Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood hath not 
revealed this unto thee, but my Father who 
is in heaven." 



22 UNITY OF THE CHURCH 

Peter did not get the knowledge of this 
fact, that Jesus was the Son of the living 
God, from tradition or the reasonings of his 
own mind; he had received it by the revela- 
tion of God. This fact being settled, that 
the disciples have it correct, that their faith 
on this point is sound, Christ proceeds in 
His reply to Peter to state to them, and for 
others down through the ages, another fact, 
as follows: "Upon this rock I will build 
my church; and the gates of hell (Hades) 
shall not prevail against it." 

In reference to the term church and its 
meaning we may quote the following: Dr. 
Adam Clark says, "The term church, in 
Greek, ekklesia, occurs for the first time in 
this place." Dr. Barnes says, "The word 
church literally means called out, and often 
means an assembly or congregation. It is 
applied to Christians as being called out 
from the world." Dr. Lange says the term 
here rendered church means "belonging to 
the Lord." He further says, "The term 
church, from the English Bible, has long 
since become the full equivalent of the 
Greek ekklesia" 

It is in the text quoted above that the 
term church is first found in the Bible ; from 
it also may be gained a clue to its meaning, 



UNITY OF THE CHURCH 23 

the meaning that is generally accorded to 
it by English speaking people. In saying 
that this passage is the first instance in 
which the word "church" is used, let it not 
be understood as implying that the Lord had 
not a people in previous ages, indeed in 
every age ; but until this time they had been 
designated by different titles. 

There are two important facts relative to 
the church of Jesus Christ, contained in the 
text quoted above, which we wish to briefly 
mention before proceeding to discuss the 
main point demanding present considera- 
tion. First, Christ said, "Upon this rock / 
will build my church." No matter what 
agencies or instrumentalities Christ may 
use in the building of His church down 
through the ages, He is the builder of His 
church. Second, the impregnability of His 
church. This is fixed. He said the powers 
of Hades shall not prevail against it. If it 
were possible for any satanic or earthly 
power to prevail against it, it certainly 
would have been destroyed centuries ago. 

THE FOUNDATION 

Christ Himself — not Peter, the Pope, Lu- 
ther, Wesley, Joe Smith, or any other man — 
is the rock. The fact just stated by Peter, 



24 UNITY OF THE CHURCH 

which the Father had revealed to him, 
"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living 
God," this fact — Christ, the Son of the liv- 
ing God — constituted then, constitutes now, 
the foundation rock, the central truth of 
Christianity. That this is Christ's meaning, 
in the text quoted, is made clear by. the fol- 
lowing corroborating Scriptures: "So then 
ye are no more strangers and sojourners, 
but ye are fellow citizens with the saints, 
and of the household of God, being built 
upon the foundation of the apostles and 
prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the 
chief corner stone; in whom each several 
building, fitly framed together, groweth into 
a holy temple in the Lord." (Eph. 2:19, 
20.) 

The main doctrine here, briefly stated, as 
we understand it, is this: the "apostles and 
prophets," that is, the teachings of the Old 
and the New Testaments, including the 
teachings of Jesus Christ and His own liv- 
ing personality as a Savior, as the great 
central truth, constitute the foundation of 
the church, represented under the figure of 
a "building," a "temple." 

If there shoud still linger in the mind any 
question as to Christ being the "rock," "the 
chief corner stone," the foundation of His 



UNITY OF THE CHURCH 25 

church, the apostle settles it, settles it with 
those who take the Scriptures as their guide 
(See 1 Corinthtians 3:11). "For other 
foundation can no man lay than that which 
is laid, which is Jesus Christ." To rightly 
understand what constitutes the real founda- 
tion of the church will appear of more 
importance as we proceed in our survey. 

ONENESS OF THE CHURCH 

The unity or oneness of the church is 
clearly taught in the first text of the Bible 
in which the word church is mentioned, as 
in many passages that follow. "Upon this 
rock," said Christ, "/ will build my church." 
It is in the singular, not my churches. I am 
not unmindful of the fact that in the Scrip- 
.tures the word church is sometimes used in 
the plural sense. It is so used in such pas- 
sages as these : "Went through Syria, .... 
confirming the churches ;" "All the churches 
of the Gentiles;" "So ordain I in all the 
churches ;" "The churches of Galatia ;" "The 
seven churches of Asia," and in some other 
passages. But the plural in these passages 
refers to different localities or places of 
one and the same church, and not to differ- 
ent factions or parts of the one church, 
such as might be represented by the differ- 
ent denominations of to-day. 



26 UNITY OF THE CHURCH 

The "seven churches of Asia" refers to 
the church in the seven different mentioned 
cities of Asia Minor — Ephesus, Smyrna, and 
others ; and not to so many different denom- 
inations or parts of the one church. Indeed, 
the denominations of to-day were not known 
in apostolic times, or the first ages of the 
church. They are the product of an aposta- 
sized church of later periods. 

In the New Testament history of the early 
church there is no mention made of more 
than one church in any given city. We 
repeat, The New Testament makes no men- 
tion of more than one church in any city. 
Doubtless, as the number of Christians 
increased, there were different places of 
assemblage for worship in the same city; 
but so far as we can learn from the New 
Testament teachings, there was but one 
church in one city. This one church, no 
doubt, included all the Christians in that 
city. Why should it not be so now? Why? 

The various figures used in the New 
Testament to represent the church contain 
the idea of its oneness. Note the following: 

One Body, One Head. — The church is 
represented as the body of Christ, and Him- 
self the head (as in Eph. 1:22, 23) : God 
"gave him [Christ] to be the head over all 



UNITY OF THE CHURCH 27 

things to the church, which is his body, the 
fullness of him that filleth all in all." "As 
we have many members in one body, and all 
members have not the same office, so we, 
being many, are one body in Christ.'* (Rom. 
12:4, 5.) In 1 Cor. 12:1-27 the apostle 
speaks at length of the church under this 
figure of the body. We quote the following : 
"For as the body is one and hath many 
members, and all the members of that one 
body, being many, are one body; so also is 
Christ. For by one Spirit are we all bap- 
tized into one body'* [that is how we get in, 
by the spiritual baptism or the new birth] 
"whether we be Jews or Gentiles. . . . Now 
ye are the body of Christ, and members in 
particular." 

The points in these scriptural statements 
which we wish especially to emphasize are: 
that the church, though composed of many 
individual Christians, constitutes but one 
Body; and that of this body Christ is the 
Head [not Peter, the Pope, Luther, nor any 
other man] ; not two or more heads to one 
body, or two or more bodies to one head. 

One Vineyard. — The parable of the vine- 
yard (John 15:1-5), "I am the vine; ye 
are the branches." Branches here do not 
mean anything analogous to the different 



28 UNITY OF THE CHURCH 

denominations of to-day. Such an inter- 
pretation of our Lord's words here certainly 
is at variance with His meaning. As in the 
figure of the body the different members 
represent the individual Christians making 
up the body, the church, so in the parable 
of the vineyard, individual Christians are 
represented by the branches making up the 
vine. 

One Flock, One Shepherd. — The sheepfold 
(John 10: 1-16), Christ the shepherd, Chris- 
tians the flock. (See verse 16) : "Other 
sheep I have which are not of this fold; 
them also I must bring, and they shall hear 
my voice; and they shall become one flock, 
one shepherd." Not three nor three hun- 
dred, but ONE flock. 

One Family. — In Ephesians 3 : 14, 15 the 
church is referred to under the figure of the 
family. "For this cause," says the apostle, 
"I bow my knees unto the Father of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole fam- 
ily in heaven and on earth is named." Some 
of the members on the other side of the 
river, other members on this side of the 
river, still but one family. Of this spiritual 
Christian family God is the Father; His 
children are brothers and sisters. What a 



UNITY OF THE CHURCH 29 

pity they have not always lived and treated 
each other as brothers and sisters should. 

"One family we dwell in Him, 
One church above, beneath, 
Though now divided by the stream, 
The narrow stream of death; 
One army of the living God, 
At his command we bow. 
Part of the host have crossed the flood. 
And part are crossing now." 

Is the question asked, of whom is this 
Family-Church composed? The Bible an- 
swers : Those who have "washed their robes 
and made them white in the blood of the 
Lamb." Those who have been "regener- 
ated," and "made new creatures in Christ 
Jesus." Those who have been "born of the 
Spirit;" for "as many as are led by the 
Spirit of God are the sons of God." Re- 
versely, "If any man have not the spirit of 
Christ, he is none of his." No matter how 
broad the phylactery, how white the head- 
gear, how blue the stocking, how straight- 
collared the coat, how long the creed, how 
popular the denomination, unless one has 
the Spirit of Christ he is none of His — is 
not a member of the household of faith, the 
one family, the one flock, the one body, the 
one church of Jesus Christ. 



30 UNITY OF THE CHURCH 

Christ's Prayer For. — Was it because the 
prophetic eye of Christ, looking forward 
through the centuries, and seeing His body 
again mangled, His church rent, torn, and 
divided off into so many denominational 
factions, that the burden on His spirit called 
out that inimitable prayer recorded in the 
seventeenth chapter of John? (Verses 21- 
23). "Neither pray I for these alone, but 
for them also which shall believe on me 
through their word; that they all may be 
one, as thou. Father, art in me, and I in 
thee, that they also may be one in us; that 
the world may believe that thou didst send 
me." 

UNITY OF THE CHURCH ENJOINED 

As we have found, the various phrases, 
figures and symbols used by Christ and His 
apostles to represent the church convey the 
idea of its oneness, such as my kingdom, my 
church, one body, one vineyard, one family, 
one flock; all intensely emphasized by 
Christ's prayer that it might be so. Surely 
in all of these Scriptural references some- 
thing more must be meant than a spiritual 
oneness, a fraternity of feeling, denomina- 
tional comity, a federation of churches and 
denominations. All these, in the main, are 



UNITY OF THE CHURCH 31 

good as far as they go; they point in the 
right direction; but they do not reach, at 
least they have not reached, the New Testa- 
ment idea of Christ's church — an 

Organic Unity. — Such terms as "body," 
"household," "vineyard," "flock," "family," 
"kingdom," mean something more than the 
invisible spirit; they mean an aggregation 
of parts into something visible, that the 
world may see, "and believe." 

This view of the church — its organic 
unity — does not materialize it, does not 
exclude its spiritual element. A good illus- 
tration is the trolley car, run by electricity. 
The track is laid all complete. The car is on 
the track all completely furnished. But 
there it stands ; no go ; no use until an invis- 
ible, subtile, potential something which we 
call electricity is turned on, then there is 
seeming life, and usefulness. And so the 
body without the spirit is lifeless, dead ; and 
yet the bodily organism is necessary for the 
spirit in performing its office while in this 
world. Even so the organized church, with- 
out being made alive, and that life being fed 
and maintained by the word and the Spirit 
of God, would be no church of Jesus Christ. 
We believe most heartily in a spiritual relig- 
ion — no other can meet the deep wants of 



32 UNITY OF THE CHURCH 

the soul now, or prepare us for heaven after 
while ; but this religion, which we call Chris- 
tianity, must have, speaking in general 
terms, the bodily organism, which is termed 
the church, through which to carry on its 
work of evangelism, bringing the world in 
obedience to Christ. And, with a very 
marked definiteness, the Bible teaches the 
organic unity of this church ; and with equal 
emphasis, 

CONDEMNS THE DIVISION 

of this church into denominational factions. 
Quite early in the history of the church at 
Corinth there was developed a disposition 
on the part of some to divide, or class off, 
in this case after favorite preachers. But 
these beginnings were strongly rebuked. 
"For," says the apostle, "ye are yet carnal: 
for whereas there is among you envying, 
strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal and 
walk as men ? While one saith, I am of Paul 
and I of Apollos, are ye not carnal?" The 
apostle not only condemns the spirit of this 
early tendency to classing off into separate 
parties in the church, but resents the idea of 
themselves becoming the heads of these fac- 
tions. 

Farther on in the same epistle nearly a 
whole chapter (chapter 12) is given to a 



UNITY OF THE CHURCH 33 

presentation of this subject of the oneness 
and unity of the church under the figure of 
the body with its many members, each one 
having its place and its function, each neces- 
sary to the completion of the whole: "As 
the body is one, having many members, 
so also is Christ." We have the climax of 
his argument in the 25th and 26th verses: 
"That there should be no schism in the body, 
but that the members should have the same 
care one of another, and whether one mem- 
ber suffer, all the members suffer with it, or 
one member be honored, all the members 
rejoice with it." 

NO SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY FOR DIVISIONS 

We are unable to find from the Scriptures 
any reference to, or apology for, a divided 
or sectarian church, such as is seen in the 
various distinctively organized bodies or 
denominations as they exist to-day. We 
might mention a few dozens of them by 
name, with some of the peculiarities of 
name, doctrine, dogma, government or cus- 
tom that differentiate them one from an- 
other, and then search in vain to find one of 
them, with these distinguishing peculiarities, 
mentioned in the Scriptures. 

If divisions in the church are in direct 
and positive violation of the teachings of 



34 UNITY OF THE CHURCH 

the Scriptures, and they are, and if "sin is 
the transgression of the law" and "all un- 
righteousness is sin," as the Bible declares 
them to be (see 1 John 3 : 4 and 5 : 17) , then 
what a sin — or shall we tone it down and 
say, what an evil it must be, this dividing 
of the church into factions and sectarian 
bodies! No matter what excuse, or suppos- 
ed reason, may be given for the division, the 
''there should he no schism [division] in the 
body" answers them all. 

The divisions in the church are in con- 
stant violation of our Lord's Prayer, "That 
they all may be one as we are one." From 
the time the first promises of a Savior were 
made to a sinful world until those promises 
were fulfilled and Christ sat down at the 
right hand of the Father, there is not heard 
one note of discord between the Father and 
the Son, but a perfect unity and agreement 
in all their purposes and work for man's 
redemption. Does such union exist in all 
the purposes, plans and work of the differ- 
ent denominations of Christians to-day? 
We all know there does not ! 

SECT BODY, SECT SPIRIT 

The sectarian body engenders and per- 
petuates the sectarian spirit. There are 



UNITY OF THE CHURCH 35 

Christians who are otherwise intelligent, 
thoughtful, and good who try to justify the 
existence of the sect-body, while they yet 
deplore the sectarian spirit, not seeming to 
realize that the sect-spirit is the life of the 
sect-body, and the sect-body in turn propa- 
gates and perpetuates the sectarian spirit. 
Each, in large measure, depends upon and 
perpetuates the other. While the sect-body 
remains, there will be more or less of the 
sectarian spirit. If one is wrong, so is the 
other. What is needed for the Christian 
spirit is an unsectarian church-body in 
which the spirit may dwell as the life, 
prompting to Christian service. 

EVILS OF DIVISION 

Cause of Weakness. — Divisions in the 
church are a cause of weakness, of diversion 
and perversion of strength. How much 
time, thought, and strength have been and 
still are being given to what is called church 
work that is peculiar and essential only to 
the denominational church body? Time and 
strength thus given are largely diverted 
from the building up of the real Kingdom of 
our blessed Lord. 

The Money Waste. — To build up and main- 
tain the many needless sectarian bodies 



36 UNITY OF THE CHURCH 

involves a great waste of our Lord's money, 
which He has entrusted to His people to 
hold and use as His stewards. It costs to 
maintain the machinery for organized Chris- 
tian work. The expense incurred for ma- 
chinery that is not really necessary for the 
Lord's work is unnecessary expense. Just 
think for a moment how many meeting 
houses (call them temples if you wish) 
there are, with all their equipments, and 
preachers to be supported, more than are 
really needed to accommodate the people of 
the community. Half a dozen churches, 
with services to be supported in each, in vil- 
lages of about as many hundred inhabitants, 
are to be seen in many places. I know a 
village where at the crossing of two streets 
there is a church on each of the four cor- 
ners; and in another town two costly 
churches are so closely located that the sing- 
ing of either congregation sometimes dis- 
turbs the worshippers in the other. Just 
yesterday while passing through a small 
hamlet we noticed two good churches stand- 
ing within one hundred feet of each other, 
either one of which would amply accommo- 
date the community. These are only sam- 
ples of what every one sees or knows to 
eixst in this country. All this in the name 



UNITY OF THE CHURCH 37 

of Christianity? Rather is it not a travesty- 
on Christianity? The time, strength, and 
money that are now used to erect, equip, 
and sustain more churches than are really 
needed in one ward, village, or community 
could be used where really needed in other 
wards or parts of the city, or other unpro- 
vided for communities. There are places 
where preachers are so plentiful that they 
are elbowing one another. There are other 
places, parts of our own country, where 
there are large and growing communities 
with either none, or an inadequate supply. 
The over-plus, which would amount to hun- 
dreds of thousands of dollars, would go far 
in supplying the religiously destitute in our 
own country, and in giving the gospel to 
those who now sit in the "regions and the 
shadow of death." How many hundreds of 
good ministers of the various denominations 
might be spared from the surplus churches 
and given to the cause of missions; with 
what alacrity the army of the Lord might 
be recruited and march forward in the con- 
quest of the world for Christ; what joy on 
earth and joy in heaven ; what pseans of vic- 
tory from souls redeemed; what glory and 
honor to God and the Lamb. Oh, the sin of 
all this waste! 



38 UNITY OF THE CHURCH 

Stumbling Blocks. — These worse than 
needless divisions in the church of Jesus 
Christ and the spirit of jealousy, envy, un- 
holy rivalry, ostracism, and persecution 
which they have engendered, have been a 
shame and disgrace to the cause of Christ, 
breeders of scepticism and infidelity, thus 
putting stumbling blocks in the way of sin- 
ners that might be saved, and clubs into the 
hands of the enemies of the cause which 
they profess to represent. 

Better Conditions Longed For, — The evils 
of division in the church are so patent that 
many seeing eyes and reflecting minds are 
seeing and considering them. Indeed, many 
in the sect-bodies are getting heartily sick 
of them. The present world-war is empha- 
sizing with almost thunder tones the neces- 
sity of a United Church, as indicated by a 
few quotations by prominent writers of the 
present period: 

"We have come to the cross roads. We 
have come to the stage of the religious life 
of the country when if we are simply de- 
nominations, and not a United Church, we 
are doomed. Denominationalism does not 
commend itself to the members of our 
churches or the nation at large." 



UNITY OF THE CHURCH 39 

"This is another illustration of the almost 
criminal folly of the perpetuation of out- 
grown denominational distinctions among 
our American Protestant churches. These 
soldier training camps represent the most 
wonderful spiritual opportunities that the 
church has ever had to reach the young men 
of America. But, due to our divisions and 
subdivisions and sub-subdivisions along de- 
nominational lines, the church, as a church, 
cannot meet this opportunity." 

"Protestantism is divided and subdivided 
until it cannot count its own disjecta mam- 
bra. This condition should be taken upon 
the conscience and heart of every serious- 
minded man and woman as a burden and a 
shame." 

"To Him (Christ) it was inconceivable 
that His disciples could ever win the world 
unless they were united. A divided church 
is a defeated church." 

In a recent number of The Herald of 
Gospel Liberty, there appeared what is styled 
"A Get-together Plea," to which are attached 
the names of eighty prominent gospel preach- 
ers and prominent lay workers, from nine of 
the largest Protestant denominations, from 
seventeen states in the Union. In this "Plea," 
setting forth the obligations of the church 



40 UNITY OF THE CHURCH 

growing out of its relation to the present 
world-war, we quote the following: "Some- 
thing must be made Visible Fact to-day, if 
the church is to become to-morrow the 
power of God to save the world. The Lord 
gave the barren fig-tree but one year more 
in which to bear fruit or be cut down. This 
parable may be for the church now." 

And so many in nearly all the denomina- 
tions are praying and longing for the day 
when Christ's prayer shall be answered; 
when there shall be no schism, no division 
in the body; when there shall be one flock 
as well as the one Shepherd. 

Reader, are you helping to hasten the 
glad day? 



CHAPTER 11. 



A BASIC PRINCIPLE— THE ALL-SUFFI- 
CIENCY OF THE SCRIPTURES 



WE have found that the unity of the 
Christian Church, as founded by 
Christ, is taught, amplified and em- 
phasized in the New Testament Scriptures; 
that the dividing of this church into denom- 
inational factions is not only unscriptural, 
but is in direct and positive violation of the 
plain teaching of the Scriptures, and has 
been, and still is, prolific of evil. 

But can this evil be remedied and the 
church again united as in New Testament 
times, and according to New Testament 
teaching? We believe that it could be, and 
should be, and will be as far and as fast as 
the various denominations shall be led to see 
the evils of sectarianism, and become really 
desirous, and are willing to make the sacri- 
fice that may be necessary for applying the 
remedy. 



42 A BASIC PRINCIPLE 

BASIC PRINCIPLES 

The Christian Church of New Testament 
times was founded on certain basic princi- 
ples. The church of to-day, or to-morrow, 
can be unified according to the New Testa- 
ment pattern, on the same basic principles. 
These were, are, and must be, principles 
that are common to and adapted to all 
Christians, in all times, and in all places. 
One of these fundamental principles is con- 
tained in the heading of this chapter, "The 
All-Sufficiency of the Sacred Scriptures." 

Every organized society of whatever kind 
does have, and must have, some constitution, 
law, or rule of action, written or unwritten, 
expressed or understood, by which it is gov- 
erned. It must be so, since man is a 
dependent, erring mortal, a creature of law. 
Where no law is given he becomes a law 
unto himself, his conscience bearing witness, 
and his thoughts accusing or else excusing. 
The Christian and the church are not excep- 
tions to this rule. 

DIVINE LAW NECESSARY 

The church of Jesus Christ is divine, or, 
like Christ, combines the divine and the hu- 
man. A church with no divinity in it, 
though it be full to the brim with sociability 



SCRIPTURAL SUFFICIENCY 43 

and intellectuality, is no church of Jesus 
Christ. For human organizations human 
laws may suffice. But human laws, coming 
from imperfect sources, are so imperfect 
that they are almost constantly undergoing 
changes; and this is as true of man-made 
church laws as of other human laws. Surely 
Christ did not establish His kingdom in the 
world and leave it for uninspired men to give 
the laws for its government. No, no. For a 
church embodying a divine life, the work of 
which is to bring a rebellious world into sub- 
jection to the Divine Will, a divine law and 
directory is given; one perfectly adapted to 
all people, times, places, and conditions. 
This law is the Bible, the Old and New 
Testament Scriptures. 

The first basic principle of the church to 
which we call attention is contained in the 
following statement: The Scriptures, as a 
Constitution and Directory, are all-sufficient 
to regulate the belief, experience and prac- 
tice of the whole religious world. Or, differ- 
ently worded: The Bible, and the Bible alone 
is a sufficient Rule of Faith and Practice for 
the Church of Christ through all time and 
in all places. 

All the above statement contains or im- 
plies is found in the following passage 



44 A BASIC PRINCIPLE 

of Scripture: "All scripture is given by 
inspiration of God, is profitable for doctrine, 
for reproof, for correction, for instruction 
in righteousness; that the man of God may 
be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all 
good works." (2 Tim. 3 : 16, 17.) 

We have quoted from the King James Ver- 
sion; the Revised Version is substantially 
the same; the meaning is the same. Let us 
now briefly notice in their order, the several 
things specified in the passage quoted for 
which the Scriptures are all-sufficient. 

SUFFICIENT FOR DOCTRINE 
*'For Doctrine" — Teaching, — The Scrip- 
tures contain all truth necessary to be 
taught, or believed, essential to salvation. 
They do not claim, and we do not claim, that 
they teach all truth on all subjects whatso- 
ever, but all truth necessary for salvation 
and Christian living. This truth is taught 
and emphasized in Christ's last command to 
His disciples to "preach the gospel," and in 
PauFs charge to the young minister, Tim- 
othy, to "preach the word." Not so many 
articles of this creed or that creed, but they 
were to preach and teach the Gospel, the 
Word; and this preaching is accompanied 
with the promise of salvation to those who 
accept, believe and obey the gospel. 



SCRIPTURAL SUFFICIENCY 45 

Faith is essential to salvation, and "faith 
cometh by hearing and hearing by the word 
of God." (Rom. 10 : 17.) This teaches that 
the Scriptures, or the Word of God, contain 
the evidence on all religious subjects neces- 
sary to be believed as essential to salvation. 

As further evidence consider the testi- 
mony of the Spirit as given in John 20: 
31: "Many other signs truly did Jesus in 
the presence of his disciples, which are not 
written in this book: but these are written, 
that ye might believe that Jesus is the 
Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, 
ye might have life through his name." The 
record of Christ's life on the earth, includ- 
ing His "signs" or miracles, was designed 
to be a source of evidence to produce and 
hold our faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of 
God. "These were written that ye might 
believe." Our faith is to rest in the words 
of inspiration, not in the wisdom, words, or 
writings of uninspired men. 

The Bible alone, without the aid of human 
creeds and confessions of faith, furnishes 
ample means of faith for both head and 
heart. Let us give thought for a few mo- 
ments to the following passages. Psalm 19 : 
7-10, "The law of the Lord is perfect, con- 
verting the soul : the testimony of the Lord 



46 A BASIC PRINCIPLE 

is sure, making wise the simple: the stat- 
utes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the 
heart: the commandment of the Lord is 
pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the 
Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judg- 
ments of the Lord are true and righteous 
altogether. More to be desired are they 
than gold, yea, than much fine gold : sweeter 
also than honey and the honeycomb." 

Also Romans 5 : 1-5 : "Being justified by 
faith, we have peace with God through our 
Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have 
access by faith into this grace wherein we 
stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of 
God. We glory in tribulation also : knowing 
that tribulation worketh patience, and pa- 
tience, experience, and experience, hope, and 
hope maketh not ashamed, because the love 
of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the 
Holy Spirit which is given unto us." What 
wonderful and blessed fruits of Christian 
experience in the religion that comes of a 
faith founded on the testimony of the Scrip- 
tures — a religion both of the head and heart, 
the intellect and affections! 

Paul said to Timothy, "From a child thou 
hast known the holy Scriptures" — no men- 
tion of the catechisms — "From a child thou 
hast known the holy Scriptures, which are 



SCRIPTURAL SUFFICIENCY 47 

able to make thee wise unto salvation." 
And the words of Christ, ''He that heareth 
these sayings of mine and doeth them, I 
will liken him unto a wise man, who built 
his house upon a rock." To hear the teach- 
ings of Christ and observe to do them, is to 
build upon the rock, is to be safe. The dis- 
ciples understood and believed this. When 
some stumbled at His teachings and turned 
away, Jesus asked the disciples if they would 
also turn away. Peter answered, "Lord, to 
whom shall we go? Thou hast the words 
of eternal life." 

Why quote further on this point? Be- 
lieving in the Bible, we accept its testimony 
and hold that the Scriptures are all-sufficient 
for "doctrine," necessary to be taught or 
believed, essential to salvation. This truth 
in theory is most generally admitted by 
Protestant Christians, however much their 
practice may seem out of harmony with 
their admission. 

Here then is common ground, a basic 
principle, on which Christ's whole church 
can stand (if it will), build and serve. 

SUFFICIENT FOR REPROOF 

*'FoT Reproof." — As we understand it, the 
word reproof, as here used, covers the 
ground of prevention and extirpation of 



48 A BASIC PRINCIPLE 

error; keeping out heresy. The Bible not 
only teaches truth, but if properly used it 
will kill error. Indeed, the Bible itself, 
when properly used, is more potent for kill- 
ing error and keeping the church free from 
heresy than all the creeds of Christendom. 
It may not kill everything that you and I 
may consider error. But you and I are not 
standards of divine truth. The finite mind 
of erring mortals, however cultured, is not 
an infallible standard by which to weigh or 
measure the infinite truth of God. 

How to Kill Error. — The way to drive 
the darkness from the room is to let in the 
light. The way to drive from the church 
the darkness of error is to let in the light 
of God's truth as given in the Scriptures. 
A good way to test an idea claiming Scrip- 
tural support is to take it to the text where 
it claims parentage, then call in other pas- 
sages that may be found having relation to 
the same idea or subject to testify, giving 
to the various passages their legitimate 
meanings, as may be gathered from their 
settings and their context. When thus used 
it is found that the Bible itself is its own 
best interpreter. By a careful, painstaking 
process, such as we have suggested, the 
essential truth in relation to any doctrine, or 



SCRIPTURAL SUFFICIENCY 49 

to any phase of Christianity, may be found ; 
and the dangerous interpretations, where 
there are any, may also be found. If there 
are errors of interpretation that do not at 
once banish under this test, if let alone they 
are likely to do little or no harm, and will 
of themselves gradually decrease and die 
out. In large measure error is kept alive 
by harping upon it. And, strange as it 
may seem, usually the greater the error the 
louder its advocates proclaim it. The his- 
tory of the church from its golden age down 
to the present verifies this. 

As bearing with weight on the subject 
under discussion I may here quote from Rev. 
Charles Elliott, D. D., in Elliott on Roman- 
ism, Vol. I, pp. 47, 48 : *'Since, then, the Old 
Testament is so clear that David in the nine- 
teenth, and much more in the one hundred 
and nineteenth Psalm, represented the light 
which the laws of God furnished as sufficient 
for our guidance, we have much more rea- 
son to believe that the New Testament 
should be brighter. If there was no need 
for an infallible expounder of Scripture 
then, there is no need now." 

Some passages, indeed, may be difficult to 
understand at first, but that the principal 
part of the New Testament is plain enough 



50 A BASIC PRINCIPLE 

cannot with any modesty be denied; and as 
it regards the rest, what at first sight is 
difficult may, with due consideration of our 
own and the help of others, be made easy; 
what is obscurely expressed in one place 
may be clearly expressed in another; and 
what is clearly expressed in no place we may 
safely, for that very reason, conclude that it 
is not now necessary for us to understand. 
"The secret things belong unto our God ; but 
the things that are revealed belong unto us 
and to our children." (Deut. 29 : 29.) 

HUMAN CREEDS PERPETUATE ERROR 

Human legislation by the church in view 
of unifying the faith and keeping out error, 
from the Council of Nice, in 325 A. D. to the 
present, has resulted more in dividing the 
church into factions, crystallizing, stereo- 
typing, and perpetuating error, than in 
unifying the faith and keeping out heresy- 
many, many times more. 

Is our statement that human creeds crys- 
tallize and perpetuate error in the church 
questioned? Consider the following: In the 
discipline of one of the large denominations 
are six paragraphs giving the limitation of 
the power of the General Conference, the 
legislative body of the denomination, telling 
what they shall not do. The first of these 



SCRIPTURAL SUFFICIENCY 51 

reads as follows: "The General Conference 
shall not revoke, alter, nor change our Arti- 
cles of Religion, nor establish any new 
standards or rules of doctrine contrary to 
our present existing and established stand- 
ards of doctrine." Another section provides 
that under certain conditions, which are 
specified, the General Conference may alter 
any of the articles except the first. 

We do not question the sincerity of pur- 
pose of the framers of these and other de- 
nominational church laws; but we submit, 
does not the above or similar enactments 
seem to say: *We have found the truth 
of the Bible, the whole truth and nothing 
but the truth, and have embodied it in the 
(certain number of) Articles of Religion; 
and these shall never (or never with one 
exception, as in the case above) be chang- 
ed?" You see they are stereotyped and 
fixed. And if perchance some modicum of 
error did creep in, it too, is fixed and per- 
petuated. 

Who in this age, except he lives or thinks 
in the camp of "Rome," will claim that the 
23, the 25, the 39, or the certain number of 
articles of any human creed contain the 
whole truth of God's Word, or that they con- 
tain no error? 



52 A BASIC PRINCIPLE 

"Search the Scriptures," said Christ, "for 
in them ye think ye have eternal life." Are 
any searching for divine truth and life, 
direct them to the Scriptures, not to the 
creed. If any dangerous error is found or 
suspected in the church or in its ministry, 
bring it to the test, not of the creed, but of 
the Scriptures, which inspiration has de- 
clared sufficient both for doctrine and re- 
proof. 

SUFFICIENT FOR CORRECTION 

"For Correction." — This specification cov- 
ers the ground of church discipline, includ- 
ing the whole fabric of church government, 
whether of membership or ministry. There 
is not an offense against Christ and His 
cause which cannot be brought to conviction 
by the Scriptures alone, as far as God 
intended to have it convicted. Under this 
topic we need give but a few specifications. 

In case of an erring brother: "If a man 
be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spir- 
itual restore such an one in the spirit of 
meekness ; considering thyself, lest thou also 
be tempted." (Gal. 6:1.) How many 
might be saved to Christ and the church by 
following these directions. 



SCRIPTURAL SUFFICIENCY 53 

In case of personal offense: ''Moreover, if 
thy brother shall trespass against thee, go 
and tell him his fault between thee and him 
alone : if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained 
thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, 
then take with thee one or two more that in 
the mouth of two or three witnesses every 
word may be established. If he shall neglect 
to hear them, tell it unto the church : but if 
he neglect to hear the church, let him be 
unto thee as an heathen man and a publi- 
can." (Matt. 18:15-17.) In these direc- 
tions there is a perfection in adaptation 
which could hardly have been reached by 
human wisdom alone. Many a wrangle 
which has brought disgrace to the church 
and ruin to souls would never have been 
known beyond the first or second stage if 
these directions given by the Lord Himself 
had been followed. 

In case of gross immorality: In 1 Cor. 
5 : 1-5 are instructions that may apply to 
most cases of immorality, good judgment be- 
ing used in applying the principles laid 
down. 

We have referred to the above as sample 
passages w^hich go to show the all-suffi- 
ciency of the Scriptures for church disci- 
pline. 



54 A BASIC PRINCIPLE 

A SUFFICIENT DIRECTORY FOR CHRISTIAN 
LIVING 

''For Instruction in Righteousness,'* — For 
schooling and training in practical religion. 
There are specific commands and precepts 
given, or general rules and principles laid 
down, that v^ill apply, direct and govern (if 
studied, understood, and applied) in all the 
relations and positions that Christians are 
called to occupy in this life. 

In the case of a cold, lukewarm or back- 
slidden Christian or Church, specific warn- 
ing is given and remedy offered, in the mes- 
sages given to the church at Ephesus and 
the church at Laodicea, as recorded in Rev. 
2 : 1-5, and 3 : 14-20. 

In the domestic relations of life, such 
directions as the following are given : *'Hus- 
bands, love your wives, and be not bitter 
against them. . . . Love your wives, even 
as Christ loved the church, and gave Him- 
self for it. Wives, submit yourselves unto 
your own husbands, as is fit in the Lord." 
With an eye on the parents, the Book says, 
"And ye fathers, provoke not your children, 
lest they be discouraged ; but bring them up 
in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." 
Then pointing to the children it says, "Chil- 
dren, obey your parents in all things;" 



SCRIPTURAL SUFFICIENCY 55 

"Honor thy father and mother, which is the 
first commandment with promise." Then to 
the domestics: "Servants, obey in all things 
your masters according to the flesh; not 
with eye service as men pleasers; but in 
singleness of heart, pleasing God. And ye, 
masters, do the same things unto them, for- 
bearing threatening; give unto your serv- 
ants that which is just and equal; knowing 
that ye also have a Master in heaven." 

In church matters: The relation of the 
minister, and other officers, to the church 
and the church to the minister, and the 
duties that grow out of these relations are 
laid down either in precept or principle. 

In the social and business relations of life 
such general principles as love, kindness, 
benevolence, truthfulness, sincerity, justice, 
equity, are enjoined. These principles fol- 
lowed, one could hardly go wrong in any of 
the relations of life. 

The maddening irregularities and injus- 
tice that disturb human society would be 
eliminated in a day, if the precepts of the 
Bible ruled the hearts, and were made prac- 
tical in the lives of all men. A general 
observance of the Golden Rule, "All things 
whatsoever ye would that men should do to 
you, do ye even so to them;" would soon 



56 A BASIC PRINCIPLE 

dispel strife between capital and labor; 
there would be an end to the unjust capital 
combines and unjust labor combines. 
Strikes and lockouts would speedily come to 
an end; men would be free from capital 
tyranny and from labor tyranny, and the 
thousand-and-one evils that follow in their 
wake. Yea, more. If this one precept of 
the Bible had universal adoption, and were 
at once and continuously acted upon, the 
world-war raging at the time of this writing 
— early in 1918, A. D — would stop at once, 
and a peace founded upon the principles of 
justice and equity to all persons and to all 
nations would be consumated. And, oh, 
what would that all mean? — it would turn 
this earth into a veritable Heaven ! 

Take the moral truths contained in our 
Lord's sermon on the mount: what a holy 
harmony would prevail in the world if these 
precepts were fully observed ! 

GOD'S ESTIMATE OF HIS BOOK 

But why add more? Is there yet a critic 
who will say, "Under this emergency or that 
emergency the Scriptures alone are not quite 
sufficient ; we must have some other Book of 
Discipline ?" The text we have been enlarg- 
ing upon answers this, and all similar crit- 



SCRIPTURAL SUFFICIENCY 57 

icisms : "That the man of God" [minister or 
layman] "may he perfect.'' Perfection with 
the Bible alone! Anything more needed? 
But the text goes on, "Thoroughly furnish* 
ed." Not partly, but thoroughly (com- 
pletely) furnished. Thoroughly furnished 
for what? "Unto all good works." Is not 
the "all" in this case inclusive enough? Has 
God left any room or need for man's legis- 
lation for His kingdom? Understand: this 
is the estimate that God puts on His own 
Book, not to be whittled down or neutralized 
by any criticism that man may offer. 

Are you, my brother, standing with God 
on this question, of the all-sufficiency of the 
Scriptures, or against Him? 

IF THE CHURCH ONLY BELIEVED 

In proportion as the Church comes to 
believe, to believe with all the head and with 
all the heart, this one passage of Holy 
Scripture, will she let go of her human 
creeds, disciplines and confessions of faith, 
as church foundations, systems of doctrine, 
and tests of Christian fellowship and church 
membership, and these partition walls which 
have been a means of dividing the church 
and hindering its progress so long, will soon 
crumble to dust. Or, may be, she will sim^ 



58 A BASIC PRINCIPLE 

ply outgrow them, leaving them behind as 
relics of the age of divisions and exclusive- 
ness in the **One body*' — the Church of Jesus 
Christ. 

That others are seeing and feeling along 
this line is evidenced by the following, 
among the very many incidents and facts 
that might be given : 

Bishop Seymour, of the Episcopal Church, 
has said: "A bishop of our church actually 
proposed to throw overboard the Thirty-nine 
Articles in the interest of Christian unity. 
The Standard (Episcopalian), referring to 
the above remark of Bishop Seymour, said: 
"We are frank to say that we ourselves 
would be perfectly willing to throw the 
whole Thirty-nine Articles into the deepest 
hole of the Atlantic, and with them the West- 
minster Confession, the Augsburg Confes- 
sion, and every other Papal and denomina- 
tional philosophy of Christianty that was 
ever penned since the Council of Chalcedon, 
if thereby we could promote the cause of 
Christian unity." 

Those are noble sentiments expressed by 
Bishop Seymour and the Standard. Many 
others are expressing similar sentiments. 
When all who thus speak will go farther, 
leave off the "if," expressing doubt, and say, 



SCRIPTURAL SUFFICIENCY 59 

"Thereby we can promote the cause of 
Christian unity/' and then exercise the cour- 
age of their convictions and say "we will/* 
Christendom will be revolutionized, the few 
other hindrances will soon melt away, and 
the prayer of Jesus that "They all may be 
one; . . . that the world may believe," will 
be answered. 

INDIVIDUAL INTERPRETATION 

While presenting the Scriptures as the 
all-sufficient, and the only infallible rule for 
faith and conduct, we must grant the 
autonomy of the local church and allow the 
private interpretation of the same to be the 
right and privilege of each individual be- 
liever for himself. This is so, since we have 
no knowledge from the Bible, or from any 
other source, that any individual, or consti- 
tuted body of individuals, has been divinely 
commissioned as authoritative interpreters. 
If there were such authoritative interpre- 
ters, the final authority would then be trans- 
ferred from the Scriptures to the inter- 
preter. The Roman Catholic Church has 
presumed to do this, practically taking the 
Bible out of the hands of the laity. 

The apostles were commissioned, and the 
true ministers of to-day are divinely called, 



60 A BASIC PRINCIPLE 

to preach the Gospel, to deliver the message 
of salvation, to preach the Word in its appli- 
cation to human life. In doing this they will 
here and there give their own interpreta- 
tions. Ministers and other Bible teachers 
are supposed to have so studied the Word 
that their expositions are entitled to consid- 
eration. But the most intelligent human 
teachers are fallible; their minds are finite; 
they cannot grasp all the truth; for truth 
is infinite. While the Word, as inspiration 
has given it, is perfect, your understanding 
of it, or my understanding of it, may be very 
incorrect; even what we hold as truth may 
not be free from shadings of error, and 
hence should not be forced on others as 
authoritative. The authority must rest in 
the Word of God itself, and not in the judg- 
ment of man, or in any canon of the church. 
The individual must be left free to accept 
the truth as he may be able to understand it, 
to give up, to modify, or to receive new con- 
ceptions of truth as additional light may 
shine upon his mind, and as his Christian 
experience may bring him into closer and 
fuller fellowship with the Divine Father, 
Himself the author of all truth. 



SCRIPTURAL SUFFICIENCY 61 

INTERPRETATION NOT REPUDIATION 

But we must not mistake repudiation for 
interpretation. One may not understand all 
the teachings of the Bible ; but that does not 
justify him in denying the teachings of the 
Bible. Individual interpretation does not 
give one the right to pass judgment on tbe 
Scriptures. It does give one the personal 
right to his own convictions as to what the 
Scriptures teach. He is at liberty to inter- 
pret as against the teachings of other men 
or the creeds of men, but never to interpret 
the Word out of existence, or as against 
itself. The last warning given in the book 
of Revelation is against tampering with the 
Book — against adding to or taking from the 
words of the Book. 

"I testify unto every man that heareth 
the words of the prophecy of this book, if 
any man shall add unto these things, God 
shall add unto him the plagues that are 
written in this book: and if any man shall 
take away from the words of the book of 
this prophecy, God shall take away his part 
out of the book of life, and out of the holy 
city, and from the things which are written 
in this book." (Rev. 22 : 18, 19.) 



CHAPTER III. 



CHRISTIAN CHARACTER THE CONDI- 
TION OF FELLOWSHIP AND 
MEMBERSHIP 



HAVING found the Scriptures of the 
Old and the New Testament to be an 
all-sufRcient rule of faith and con- 
duct for the church of Christ, the questions 
arise, of whom is the church composed, and 
what constitutes the basis or conditions of 
fellowship and membership in the church? 

I think that all will agree in the statement 
that the spiritual church of Jesus Christ is 
composed of all Christians — all who have 
been "regenerated," "born again," "born 
from above," who have been made "new 
creatures in Christ Jesus." If, then, all 
Christians are members of the spiritual 
kingdom of our Lord, why may they not 
constitute a part of that kingdom when 
organized for Christian service? We repeat, 
what are, or should be, the conditions of 



64 CONDITION OF MEMBERSHIP 

membership? Whom shall we invite to our 
church fellowship and communion? This is 
an important question, a momentous ques- 
tion. Is each one left to settle it for himself, 
to act in the premises according as his own 
conjecture, opinion or theory may dictate? 
Or does the Bible settle it for us? The 
Bible does settle this question for those who 
see and are willing to accept and abide by 
its answer. And in this answer we have 
another basic or fundamental principle upon 
which every individual Christian may stand, 
and the aggregation of Christians may unite 
in church fellowship and service. Turning 
to the Book we find it in concrete form at 
Romans 15: 7. 

"Wherefore receive ye one another, even 
as Christ also received us/* (in Revised Ver- 
sion, "received you," the same in meaning, 
as us includes you) ''to the glory of God,'' 

The meaning of this seems plain. As 
Christ received us. The conditions on which 
Christ receives, on which we may have "fel- 
lowship with the Father and with His Son 
Jesus Christ," constitute the weight, the 
measure, the rule, the standard, by which 
Christians may, and should, receive one an- 
other. May we know what those conditions 
are? 



CONDITION OF MEMBERSHIP 65 

In Paul's message to the elders of the 
church at Ephesus we have this comprehen- 
sive passage: "I have kept back nothing 
that was profitable unto you, but have 
showed you, and have taught you publicly, 
and from house to house, testifying both to 
the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance 
toward God, and faith toward our Lord 
Jesus Christ." (Acts 20 : 20.) 

In this condensed form we have the con- 
ditions of salvation for both the Jews and 
the Gentiles — for the whole world. Repent- 
ance toward God, and faith in our Lord 
Jesus Christ, are Scriptural conditions of 
salvation, of the new birth, of induction into 
the spiritual church, the one family of God. 
That repentance and faith are essential to 
salvation is admitted by Christians of all 
Protestant denominations. Then why exact 
more as conditions of membership in the vis- 
ible church? Surely every Christian ought 
to be willing to receive to his full fellowship 
every other Christian whom Christ receives. 
"Shall man be more holy than God? the 
servant more exacting than his Master?" 

TRUE BASIS OF FELLOWSHIP 

Here is a fundamental truth, a basic prin- 
ciple, in which Christians of all denomina- 



66 CONDITION OF MEMBERSHIP 

tions are agreed. This basic principle we 
hold is sufficient as a test of fellowship for 
the Unified Church for which we plead. 
This principle is usually put in about the 
following form — the style of wording the 
principle is not particularly essential, but 
the idea is absolutely essential; without it 
there can be no christian union anywhere. 
We state it as follows: Christian character 
is the true Basis, and the only true Basis, 
or Condition, of Christian Fellowship, and 
Church Membership and Communion. 

This does not make Christian and church 
fellowship depend on the number and char- 
acter of the articles in a man's creed, nor 
on his opinions, professions, or his reputa- 
tion ; but on what he is — ^his Christian char- 
acter, the simple fact that he is a Christian. 

BOTH SCRIPTURAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL 

This test is not only Scriptural, but phil- 
osophical. Men act on this principle in the 
ordinary relations of life. We value a fruit 
tree by the nature and quantity of the fruit 
it bears. In commercial transactions the 
nature and quality of the article, other 
things being equal, govern the purchase. In 
the social relations of life the good are not 
naturally drawn to associate with the bad. 



CONDITION OF MEMBERSHIP 67 

nor the bad with the good. Even so, relig- 
iously, we have sympathy with, love and fel- 
lowship for others as Christians, in propor- 
tion as we see or feel the evidence that they 
are Christians. Indeed there can be genuine 
Christian fellowship only where we see the 
marks of a Christian. There may be fel- 
lowship in other things, in the minister, in 
the general doctrinal statements, usages and 
work of the church. But our Christian fel- 
lowship for others rests in our confidence in 
them as Christians. As that confidence 
increases, our love and fellowship for them 
strengthens ; as that confidence decreases our 
love and fellowship weakens. It cannot be 
otherwise. 

Here, again, we find common ground, a 
bond that ought to break asunder, absorb or 
transcend all other bonds, and bind in sweet- 
est heavenly fellowship, communion, and 
gospel work, all the followers of our Lord 
Jesus Christ in all Christendom. In the 
light of reason and revelation we claim for 
this test these three things : 

I. IT IS SPECIFIC ENOUGH 

To analyze its elements may require close 
intelligent thought, but the fact of it may 
be easily understood by all. There need be, 



68 CONDITION OF MEMBERSHIP 

there is, in fact, no perplexing ambiguity in 
the phrase, Christian Character. If we say 
of a man that he is a wicked character, a 
vicious character, or an immoral character, 
you do not ask for definitions, you know 
what it means. Even so of Christian char- 
acter. By it you understand that the man 
is a Christian. He may be a very weak and 
imperfect Christian. But if he is alive, if 
he has any spiritual life, he is God^s child, 
he is thy brother in Christ Jesus, and who 
art thou that "settest at naught thy broth- 
er?" The newly born child, however weak 
and helpless, is recognized and protected by 
law, and is loved as a member of the family. 
Of course the child is expected to grow and 
develop into manhood or womanhood. Even 
so with the Christian. As to the elements 
of Christian character, and the fruits that it 
is expected to bear, they are clearly defined 
in the Scriptures — our rule of faith and 
practice. 

II. IT IS RESTRICTIVE ENOUGH 

It excludes all who are unrighteous, all 
whose works are after the flesh. It is as 
strait as the gate and as narrow as the way 
that leadeth unto spiritual life and to 
heaven. As to whom this test would exclude 



CONDITION OF MEMBERSHIP 69 

from heaven, and so from the church, which 
is the vestibule of heaven, the Scriptures are 
very specific. On this point we may note 
the following. God has given His own defi- 
nition of sin: 

Negatively — "All unrighteousness is sin." 

Positively — "Sin is the transgression of 
the law." (1 John 3:4.) We give a few 

Specifications. — "Know ye not that the 
unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of 
God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, 
nor adulterers, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor 
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, 
shall inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Cor. 
6:9, 10.) In another list the following 
specifications are added: "Idolatry, witch- 
craft, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, 
revellings, and such like; of the which I tell 
you before, as I have told you in time past, 
that they who do such things shall not 
inherit the Kingdom of God." (Gal. 5: 20- 
21). Many other specifications are given in 
the Bible, but we may find them all, in con- 
crete form, in Psalm 1:5: "The ungodly 
shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners 
in the congregation of the righteous/' 

The great multitude spoken of in Revela- 
tion, that John in beatific vision saw coming 
up through great tribulation, from all na- 



70 CONDITION OF MEMBERSHIP 

tions, kindreds, people, and tongues, were 
clothed in white robes — robes "washed and 
made white in the blood of the Lamb;" and 
Revelation 19 : 7, 8, explains the white robes 
as signifying "the righteousness of the 
saints." 

Christian character centers in Christ, has 
its birth in regeneration, taking on the new 
life, the Christ-life; and, to be maintained, 
the Christ-life must be lived. Yes, Christian 
character as a condition of Christian and 
church fellowship is restrictive enough. 

III. IT IS BROAD ENOUGH 

It includes all who have been born again; 
all who have the image of Christ; all who 
are Christian. Do I hear some one say, "I 
endorse all that most heartily as applying to 
the relation between myself and the individ- 
ual Christian; but when it comes to joining 
our church they should believe and practice 
as we do?" I do not say that this is always 
insisted upon, or insisted upon in the abso- 
lute. But I submit that either directly or 
indirectly, this has been largely the thought 
and practice of the various denominations — 
some more rigidly than others — since the 
origin of denominations. And right here 
lies very much of the trouble : requiring per- 



CONDITION OF MEMBERSHIP 71 

sons to he more than Christian, before they 
can join and enjoy the fellowship and com- 
munion of the church. Whatever that 
"more than'* may include, whether it be some 
doctrine or set of doctrines, whether it be sub- 
mission to an external ordinance in some 
specified form or manner; even though the 
doctrine or form be correct in itself, and 
essential in its place, if God does not require 
it as a condition of forgiveness, of regener- 
ation, of induction into His spiritual family 
and fellowship, it should not be a condition 
of fellowship in the Organic Church. To 
so require is to wound the spirit of Chris- 
tian charity; is to work injustice to the 
brotherhood of Christians; is to violate the 
plain teachings of the Bible; is to sanction 
and perpetuate divisions in the church, when 
God in His Word says, "There should be no 
divisions among you." 

REJECTING ON NON-ESSENTIALS 

The following incidents will serve as an 
illustration of the idea of rejection on non- 
essentials. 

Some years ago in the town in which I 
lived, the Baptists were conducting a revival 
and had quite a number of converts. I was 
present at a service when they were receiv- 



72 CONDITION OF MEMBERSHIP 

ing members into the church, about twenty, 
I think. Of the number of candidates two 
attracted my especial attention. One, a lady 
in middle life, had recently come from an- 
other state where she had been a member 
of another church. She was questioned 
closely as to her conversion and Christian 
experience. This seemed satisfactory. 
Then she was questioned as to her baptism. 
As to the mode this was satisfactory, for she 
had been immersed. But the question was 
now raised as to whether she had received 
her baptism in order to pardon or not, the 
minister saying that "it had been decided by 
an Association in the state of Missouri that 
persons coming from the Disciple Church 
might be received into the Baptist Church 
on their baptism, provided they had not 
received it in order to pardon." This ques- 
tion confused the sister considerably, but she 
finally succeeded in so explaining that her 
baptism was accepted as valid, and she was 
received. 

The other case was that of a man about 
fifty years of age, one of the leading citizens 
of our town, known to be an upright Chris- 
tian man, who had been a member of the 
Protestant Methodist Church; but as they 
had no church in this town he had been wor- 



CONDITION OF MEMBERSHIP 73 

shipping with others as convenience served. 
Being asked to "give a relation of his exper- 
ience" he spoke very interestingly of his con- 
version twenty-five years before, and of his 
subsequent Christian life; said that he had 
been attending their services for some time, 
and thought that he could feel at home, and 
could worship and work with them for the 
cause of righteousness. So far all was very 
satisfactory. But — but — had he been bap- 
tized? Yes, as he understood it — he had 
been sprinkled. He had been, and still was, 
satisfied with sprinkling for his baptism. 
Then he was plied with arguments. Failing 
in this, he not being willing to surrender his 
conscience and convictions to theirs, he was 
refused membership ! So to reject Christ in 
the person of His disciple involves a grave 
responsibility, a responsibility which we 
could not afford to assume; and we think 
none ought to assume. 

ON BAPTISM AS A TEST 

To amplify the idea somewhat: I may 
believe, and I do believe, that water baptism 
is essential, in its place, as every precept of 
the Bible is essential in its place. A step 
further : I may believe, and I do believe, that 
immersion in water is the Scriptural form 



74 CONDITION OF MEMBERSHIP 

of baptism; that no other mode would sat- 
isfy my conscience, or be baptism for me. 
Thus far I may go. But suppose that I, 
representing the church, go further, as some 
do, and make water baptism a door into the 
church, or, which is practically the same 
thing, a condition of church fellowship and 
communion. In so doing I am holding the 
door of the church closed against the whole 
denomination of Friends or Quakers, and all 
other unbaptized Christians. To this extent 
I am rejecting Christ in the person of His 
disciples, in not receiving other Christians 
*'as Christ received me" — for certainly no 
person possessing the Spirit of Christ will 
say that none of the Friends are Christians! 

Having made baptism a condition of mem- 
bership, or membership and communion in 
the church, thus excluding all unbaptized 
Christians, and having said that I believe in 
baptism by immersion, suppose that I go 
farther still, as some do, and make baptism 
by immersion a condition of church fellow- 
ship. What have I now done? I have not 
only excluded all the Friends, but practically 
all Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and large- 
ly, the Methodists, Congregationalists, and 
United Brethren — in short, all unimmersed 
Christians. Who would venture to say that 



CONDITION OF MEMBERSHIP 75 

none of these are Christians? To do so 
would be the very height of presumption. 
"By their fruits ye shall know them," saith 
the Word. They bear much Christian fruit 
thereby proving that they are Christians. 
Myriads of them have gone to heaven. Myri- 
ads more now serving God are on their way 
to heaven; but the immersion test would 
exclude them from the church militant! 
"Oh, consistency, thou art a jewel." 

What does this amplification demonstrate? 
This: that the ordinance of baptism by 
immersion, that water baptism in any form, 
is not in God's economy made an essential 
condition of pardon, of regeneration, of the 
reception of the new life, the Christ-life. If 
it were so made it would then follow, that 
down through the last nineteen centuries no 
one has been or could be saved without bap- 
tism ! It would further follow, that between 
myself, a sinner, and God against whom I 
have sinned, and Jesus Christ my advocate 
(mediator) and Saviour, between us three I 
cannot be saved ! I am deeply penitent ; God 
is willing; Christ my advocate is pleading; 
but I must wait, and God must defer His 
pardon until a fellowman (administrator) 
consents, conditions favor, and I am bap- 
tized — it may be a day, it may be longer ! 



76 CONDITION OF MEMBERSHIP 

I have referred to the baptismal test, not 
for itself alone, but as well to illustrate 
what to me seems to be one of the greatest 
blunders, if not the greatest wrongs, that 
the church has committed during the past 
sixteen hundred years — considered in the 
light of the consequences that have followed 
it: that of making any doctrinal statement 
on which Christians of equal intelligence 
and piety are not in fact agreed a test or 
condition of Christian and church fellow- 
ship. Christianity has its fundamental 
truths, and in so far as any truth is funda- 
mental to Christianity, all Christians do 
accept it; perhaps not in the formal state- 
ment in which it may be clothed by men, or 
by the creeds of men, but the truth itself as 
God gives it. 

But we are not now discussing theology, 
as such, but we are dealing with the logic of 
facts. Facts that harmonize with the teach- 
ings of the Scriptures. We are pleading for 
a Unified Church; for a dropping off, a 
growing out of, a leaving behind, as condi- 
tions of fellowship, those things that tend to 
divide and keep divided the church of Jesus 
Christ. We are pleading for those basic 
principles upon which, as we verily believe, 
the whole Church of our blessed Lord might 



CONDITION OF MEMBERSHIP 77 

stand and work for His glory in the salva- 
tion of men and the extension of His king- 
dom. Our contention here is that Christian 
character, the Christ spirit in the heart 
manifesting itself in the life, with the 
acceptance of the Word of God as its guid- 
ance, as the whole condition of Christian fel- 
lowship, is all-sufficient for church fellow- 
ship and communion. 

Understand: it is Christian and church 
fellowship that we have been basing on 
Christian character — the Christian life. 
This implies a oneness of nature, fellowship, 
purpose, and aim, in Christ Jesus; it does 
not necessarily imply an equality in ability 
or opportunity for service. 

We have spoken of the "organic church." 
By this we mean the church organized for 
Christian service. We all know that organ- 
ization is essential for the largest efficiency 
in all departments of the business world. It 
is no less so in the religious world. The 
church is represented under the figure of 
the body. It is hard to conceive of a more 
perfect organization than that of the human 
body, with its various members set in order, 
each having its specific function to perform ; 
the current of life flowing through each part 
of the body; the same syn:^pathy affecting 



78 CONDITION OF MEMBERSHIP 

the various members — "Whether one mem- 
ber suffer, all the members suffer with it." 
Each member having its function or office 
to fill is fitted with the necessary equipment 
for that office, as the eye, ear, hands, feet; 
each is essential in its place, though one may 
not be able to perform the office work of 
another. The eye cannot walk, the hand 
cannot see. 

So in the organization of the Church in 
any given locality, whether that church 
organization be effected at once or by a 
gradual process — electing or supplying offi- 
cers as the necessity for them may require- 
due regard should be had to the necessary 
qualifications, gifts, and graces of head and 
heart, guided by wisdom and the teachings 
of the Scriptures — all should be permeated 
with the Holy Spirit. 



CHAPTER IV. 



CHRISTIAN THE NAME FOR THE 
LOCAL AND UNITED CHURCH 



ALL persons and things have names. 
All organized societies, of whatever 
kind, have names. Every distinct 
body of Christians has its distinct denomina- 
tional name. A church that is specific 
enough, straight enough, and broad enough to 
include every member of Christ's spiritual 
kingdom, should have a name — a name adapt- 
ed to such a church. The church being divine, 
the name should be divine. There is such 
a name, and inspiration has given it. A 
name that exactly fits every individual dis- 
ciple of Christ, and the aggregation of these 
disciples in the one body, one Church. 

God's ancient people were denominated 
Jews. But when the Jewish dispensation 
was to be succeeded by the new, the Chris- 
tian dispensation, the Jewish name was to 
be succeeded by a new name. This was pre- 
dicted by the prophet Isaiah, as we learn 



80 CHRISTIAN THE NAME 

from Chapters 65 : 15 and 62 : 2 ; "And ye 
shall leave your name for a curse unto my 
chosen: .... for the Lord God shall call 

his servants by another name The 

Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all 
kings thy glory; and thou shalt be called by 
a new name, which the mouth of the Lord 
shall name." 

About seven hundred and forty years 
after this prediction by the prophet it was 
fulfilled, as we learn from Acts 11 : 26. 

THE NAME CHRISTIAN 

^'And the disciples were called Christians 
first in Antioch." Christ came to be a 
Saviour, not only for the Jews, but also for 
the Gentiles. In Him, in His kingdom, there 
was to be "neither Jew nor Greek, neither 
bond nor free, neither male nor female;" all 
were to be one in Christ Jesus. Prejudices 
are strong. Custom and names of long 
standing are not easily given up. It will be 
hard for the converted Jews to give up their 
name for a new name. But Jew is a sec- 
tional name, and the Jewish religion was, 
and is, a sectional religion. Christianity is 
in no sense a sectional religion; it is for all 
nations, kindreds, peoples, and tongues. In 
Antioch of Syria the apostles are for the 



CHRISTIAN THE NAME 81 

first time brought face to face with a con- 
gregation of people made up of Jewish and 
Gentile believers; and, therefore, a name 
neither Jewish nor Gentile was required to 
designate them. How admirably the new 
name, the name Christian, fits the case! 

THE NAME DIVINELY GIVEN 

But there are, or have been, those who 
question the divinity of the name, claiming 
that the name was given by the unbelieving 
citizens of Antioch as a term of derision. 
This is a gratuitous assumption. Dr. Hast- 
ings well says: "There is not the slightest 
evidence — except the guess work of those 
who wish to have it so — to justify their own 
unscriptural course, that the name Christian 
was applied at Antioch by the heathen as a 
term of derision." 

Rev. John Sommerville, D. D., says: "It 
was Paul and Barnabas who called the dis- 
ciples Christians. The word translated, call- 
ed chrematidzo, is found only seven times in 
the New Testament. In every other instance 
beside Acts 11 : 26, there is clearly implied 
a revelation from God. Why should this be 
an exception? In Matthew 2:12, 22 the 
wise men and Joseph are warned of God. 
In Luke 2 : 26 it was revealed by the Holy 



82 CHRISTIAN THE NAME 

Ghost to Simeon. In Acts 10 : 22 Cornelius 
was warned by a holy angel. In Hebrew 
8 : 5 Moses was admonished by God. In 
Romans 7 : 3, the woman shall be called an 
adulteress by divine law, no matter what 
men may say or do. In Hebrew 12 : 25 
Moses is represented as one who gave revel- 
ations from God. In Acts 11 : 26 "they 
called" [by revelation from God] "the disci- 
ples Christians/' 

Dr. Adam Clark, in his notes on Acts 
11:26, says: "It is evident they have the 
name Christian from Christ their Master. 
.... The word which we translate were 
called, signifies in the New Testament, to 
appoint, warn or nominate, by divine direc- 
tion. It is most likely that Paul and Bar- 
nabas were directed to give it; and that, 
therefore, the name Christian is from God, 
as well as the grace and holiness which are 
so essentially required and implied in the 
character." 

Dr. Doddridge renders it: "The disciples 
were divinely called Christians at Antioch." 

Scholars of to-day are quite generally 
agreed that the name Christian was given 
to the disciples of Christ by divine inspira- 
tion. 



CHRISTIAN THE NAME 83 

OTHER SCRIPTURAL MENTION OF THE NAME 

See the use of the name as recorded in 
Acts 26 : 28 : "And Agrippa said unto Paul, 
with but little persuasion thou wouldest fain 
make me a Christian." By the way Agrippa 
uses the name here the inference seems plain 
that "Christian" is the name by which 
Christ's followers were then known. This 
inference is strengthened by the fact that it 
had been about twenty years since the name 
was given at Antioch. "Quite time enough," 
as Rev. A. L. McKinney says, in his Positive 
Theology, "for it to have been received in 
all the churches, since the apostles and their 
co-workers in the ministry traveled exten- 
sively from city to city, visiting the various 
congregations to strengthen them in the 
faith, and especially since it was given by 
divine appointment at Antioch." 

Not far from the same time, perhaps 
about two years before Paul was making 
that wonderful defense that so stirred 
Agrippa, Peter, in writing his epistle to the 
elect in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asfa, 
and Bithynia, refers to the name in this 
wise : "If ye be reproached for the name of 
Christ, blessed are ye, because the Spirit of 
glory and of God resteth upon you. For let 
none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, 



84 CHRISTIAN THE NAME 

or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other 
men's matters; but if a man suffer as a 
Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let 
him glorify God in this name." 

This is additional evidence that by this 
time the saints of God were generally known 
by this name. This was the name that 
marked them as disciples of Christ, and 
subjected them to persecution, often to im- 
prisonment, sometimes to death. And the 
same has been true in non-Christian lands 
down to the present time. Peter understood 
this. Yet he encouraged them, that even 
through reproaches they should stand for 
the name of Christ, for in suffering as a 
Christian they would glorify God in this 
name. This is the name for which Chris- 
tian martyrs have given their lives down 
through the centuries, for which, as it is 
computed, some 50,000 Chinese Christians, 
as well as many missionaries, gave their 
lives during the Boxer uprising in China a 
few years since. 

CHRISTIAN THE FAMILY NAME 

As further Scriptural evidence that Chris- 
tian is the proper name for both the individ- 
ual follower of Christ, and for the aggrega- 
tion of such followers into organized 



CHRISTIAN THE NAME 85 

churches, let us consider the fact that it is 
the family name. In Ephesians 3 : 14, 15 
the apostle says: "For this cause I bow my 
knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ of whom the whole family in heaven 
and earth is named." 

As to the name, in this connection, we 
may quote from James 2:7: "Do not they 
blaspheme that worthy name by which ye 
are called?" From the passage, which we 
quote from Ephesians, as we have said in a 
previous chapter, God has but one family, 
which includes all the saints, both in heaven 
and on earth. And at the time this letter 
was written Christ's followers bore the same 
name, and that name was Christian; for the 
apostle says "of whom," that is, of Christ, 
or from Him "the whole family in heaven 
and on earth is named." I take it to be true 
that the members of God's family who have 
passed on have no party or sectarian names 
in heaven. If they wore any such names 
while here, they left those names on this 
side the river when they, as redeemed saints, 
passed over to the other side. I cannot 
believe that the unity and fellowship of 
heaven will ever be marred by any of the 
human names or other appendages that 
divide God's dear children into so many dif- 



86 CHRISTIAN THE NAME 

ferent denominations. All of God's saints, 
whose "robes are washed and made white in 
the blood of the Lamb," will pass safely over 
— (blessed be the name of the Lord for the 
hope!) — while all "the more too" non-essen- 
tial things, as Mr. Wesley is reported to 
have said, "will be washed down the river, 
and we will come out on the other side sim- 
ply as Christians," content with the name of 
Him who redeemed us, Christ — Christians. 

APPROPRIATENESS OF THE NAME 

How appropriate is this family figure. 
Christ is represented as the "bridegroom," 
and the church, the "bride, the Lamb's 
wife." In this country at marriage the 
bride relinquishes her maiden name and 
takes the name of the bridegroom, her hus- 
band; even so should the church, the spir- 
itual bride, take the name of Christ, her 
spiritual husband and head. Besides, what 
would a bridegroom think of his bride, 
should she refuse to take his name, or if in 
addition to his name she should insist on 
taking and using as the family name that of 
some other man? Would not such a course 
dishonor her husband ? Such a course seems 
to be paralleled by the denominations that, 
though claiming to be Christian, give to 



CHRISTIAN THE NAME 87 

themselves other names, human names, some 
of which in their literal meanings have no 
relation to Christ. 

OTHER NAMES SECTIONAL, FRAGMENTARY 

Of the many denominational names some 
are for men, such as Lutherans from Lu- 
ther, Wesleyans or Wesleyan Methodists 
from Wesley, thus by the name honoring the 
men more than Christ. Luther and Wesley 
were both great and good men; yet I doubt 
if either of them ever thought of, or, if liv- 
ing, would approve of, his name being used 
as the cognomen for a faction or party of 
Christians separating themselves — largely 
by the name — from other Christians. Some 
names are expressive of a form of church 
government, such as Episcopalian, Presby- 
terian, Congregational; some are expressive 
of some theological idea, as Unitarian, Uni- 
versalist; the name of one large denomina- 
tion is from one of the ordinances of the 
church; others still express, within them- 
selves, no religious idea at all, and may be 
applied to secular or moral things as well 
as to religious things; and when any relig- 
ious idea is contained in a man-given denom- 
inational name, it is usually, if not always, 
but one idea. They are all fragmentary and 



88 CHRISTIAN THE NAME 

schismatic, each representing hut a fraction 
of the divided body — the church of Jesus 
Christ. They are all so many fences divid- 
ing the flock. These, with just a few other 
fences, once down, the sheep would soon 
flock together, as it is the nature of sheep 
to do, and there would be "one fold [or 
flock] and one Shepherd." 

Christ is one. Christianity is one, the 
same anywhere, everywhere. Anything in 
a Christian that differentiates him from 
another Christian is not in itself Christian. 
It is the human appendage tacked on, that 
is not essential to Christianity itself, that 
divides and separates. Prominent among 
these appendages are the various man-given 
denominational names. 

AN ILLUSTRATIVE INCIDENT 

The following incident seems in place 
here: A good Baptist brother, a relative of 
ours, was attending an evangelistic meeting 
we were holding some years ago. In one of 
our testimony meetings he was speaking of 
his joy in the Lord and how much he was 
enjoying the fellowship of the brethren. 
"True," said he, "I am not a member of this 
church: I belong to a denomination of an- 
other name. But there is nothing in names ; 
they only serve to tell us apart." I found 



CHRISTIAN THE NAME 89 

myself pronouncing the words after him, 
**They- only -serve -to -tell -us -apart." The 
brother was not conscious of the largeness 
of the fact which he was expressing. Man- 
given or assumed denominational names, do 
serve to divide and keep Christians apart. 
And is it not about the only real purpose 
they do serve? 

A SUPPOSED CASE, WHICH IS REAL 

We go into one of the great Christian 
assemblies, say a Sunday-school, Christian 
Endeavor, or Missionary Convention, in 
which a score or more of denominations 
are participating in the interests of the 
common cause of the Master. We may lis- 
ten for hours before one of these distinctive 
names is mentioned. When it is mentioned 
it at once suggests to the mind some faction 
or fraction of the Church of Christ set off 
from the general body by some dividing 
lines. During these same hours the name 
Christian is likely to have been pronounced 
a score of times, but to no mind did it sug- 
gest any idea whatever of any division or 
party. Say not, there is nothing in a name ! 

OTHER NAMES — TITLES 

Do you ask, are not the followers of 
Christ designated by other names than 



90 CHRISTIAN THE NAME 

Christian in the New Testament? They are 
by other titles; such as "disciples," ''believ- 
ers," "brethren," "saints." These are not 
names, but titles, as husband, wife, parent, 
child, captain, colonel, president — are titles. 
A "disciple" might be a disciple of Moham- 
med or Joe Smith ; a man may be a "believ- 
er" in Christ or in Confucius; persons may 
be "brethren" in the Spirit or in the flesh. 
While these and other Scriptural titles are 
all proper in their place, not one of them is 
given as a name for the Church of Jesus 
Christ. The one "new name" is the one 
given by inspiration at Antioch — ^the name 
Christian, from Christ. This name we 
inherit; it comes to us with the new birth, 
comes as naturally as comes our literal name 
by our literal birth. With the life and char- 
acter of Christ comes the name of Christ — 

CHRISTIAN. 

FOR LOCAL CONGREGATIONS OTHER NAMES 
MAY BE TAKEN 

To designate local congregations of the 
church, local names may be taken. As in 
New Testament times there were churches, 
one at Ephesus, one at Smyrna, one at Phil- 
adelphia, and in other localities ; even so now 
the local congregations may properly, as they 



CHRISTIAN THE NAME 91 

do, take the name of the town, village, or 
country place. If in the city, it may be desig- 
nated as the First, Second, Third, or by the 
name of the street, or other local designation ; 
all of these being simply local congregations 
of the one body of Christ — the Christian 
Church. And there should be no more of 
these local congregations or churches than is 
really necessary for the best accommodation, 
and efficient service for Christianizing that 
village, country, or city community. Money 
and strength spent for more than this are 
misspent; and especially until the dear peo- 
ple in all parts of the habitated earth shall 
be evangelized, given the Gospel, and a 
chance for salvation through our Lord Jesus 
Christ: "And in none other is there salva- 
tion, neither is there any other name under 
heaven, that is given among men, wherein 
we must be saved." (Acts 4 : 12.) 

RECAPITULATION, ON THE NAME 

This author believes that Christian is the 
proper name, not only for the individual 
followers of Christ, but for the Organic 
Church, the church organized for worship, 
fellowship, and service, because — 

1. Like the cause which it represents, it 
is divine, was divinely given. 



92 CHRISTIAN THE NAME 

2. It expresses our relation to, and hon- 
ors Christ, as other names do not. 

3. Being the inherited, natural, and 
proper name for the individual believers, it 
follows that it is the proper name for the 
aggregation of these believers into churches. 

4. Every lover of Jesus Christ loves this 
name derived from Christ. I may say to my 
Methodist brother, "You are not a Mormon, 
you are not a Catholic, you are not a Pres- 
byterian," and he is not offended. But if I 
say to him, "You are not a Christian," his 
feelings are wounded. He feels that in 
refusing him the name Christian I have 
questioned his Christian character. The 
same idea would be true if applied to a 
member of any denomination. 

5. As we have shown, all human denom- 
{national names are sectarian, they mark off 
and perpetuate divisions in the body of 
Christ, which is the church, (Eph. 1 : 22, 23) , 
when the Bible teaches so plainly that there 
should be "no schism in the body/' ''no 
divisions among you.'' On the other hand 
the name Christian is in no sense sectarian, 
it m-cludes all Christian and ea;-cludes none. 
We admit that it may be possible for a per- 
son to hold strenuously to the name Chris- 
tian, and yet be sectarian in spirit and 



CHRISTIAN THE NAME 93 

action; but in the name itself there is no 
taint of sectarianism. 

6. Because of the fulness and all-suf- 
ficiency of the name. Whatever of Scrip- 
tural truth may be expressed or implied by 
any of the denominational names is con- 
tained in or implied by the name Christian; 
and much more, for in this name is included 
all that goes to make up the Christian life, 
character, and conduct — all of doctrine, 
command, ordinances, principles, and pre- 
cepts for service. Everything that is Chris- 
tian in character is included in the name, 
and may not be given up ; everything that is 
un-Christian is not included in the name and 
should be given up. 

7. Nearly all religious writers of to-day, 
when speaking of the work and fruitage of 
the denominations in general, speak of it as 
the "Christian Church ;"— hence "The Chris- 
tian Church of China," and "The Christian 
Church of Japan." 

Most surely for the Unified Church, or for 
a church that believes in the Scriptural idea 
of a united church — a church that would 
and could embrace all Christians — the name 
must be the natural, universal, all-loved, all- 
comprehensive, God-given, Christ-honoring 
name, christian. 



CHAPTER V. 



SOME THINGS ESSENTIAL 



IN previous chapters attention was called 
to the "oneness" or, "unity'* of the church 
of Jesus Christ as taught in the Scrip- 
tures. Some reference was made to the 
apostacy from these teachings in the divi- 
sions of the Church into the various sects or 
denominations as we find them to-day. 

We advocated the importance of the vari- 
ous church bodies "coming back to Christ," 
and the Bible teachings on this question. 
Such coming back is going forward. This 
going forward is done by dropping off, or 
growing out of, or leaving behind, those 
things which cause and perpetuate these 
divisions, and by uniting as one Church on 
those principles which are fundamental. 
For the truths and principles which are 
really essential to Christianity are common 
to Christians everywhere. So there need be 
little, if any, sacrifice in giving up anything 
that is really essential to the individual 



96 SOME THINGS ESSENTIAL 

Christian, or the growth of the Church of 
Jesus Christ. In the previous chapters 
attention was called to what we consider 
basic principles upon which Protestant 
churches may coalesce and form one body or 
church. 

It seems evident that a corporate union of 
the various denominations cannot be effected 
on the creedal statements of any one of 
them. Various efforts have been made in 
that direction and have failed. And all such 
efforts will fail as long as any doctrine that 
is not essential to the possession and enjoy- 
ment of vital Christianity by the individual 
is made a basis of such union. But for indi- 
vidual Christians, and those who desire to 
become Christians, and live Christian lives, 
there are 

FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINES 

There must be some Bible truths on which 
to predicate faith and rest, else there can 
be no solidity of character and strength of 
purpose. So let us begin with the beginning 
of the Christian dispensation. God has had 
good and righteous people on the earth no 
doubt from the days of righteous Abel and 
Enoch. But there were no Christians or 
Christian Church, so styled, before the days 



SOME THINGS ESSENTIAL 97 

of Christ on the earth, for the very name 
Christian is derived from Christ. 

Repentance Essential. — "To the law and 
the testimony." The first recorded sermon 
of John the Baptist was, "Repent ye : for the 
kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 
3:2.) Christ's first preaching also was re- 
pentance. "From that time Jesus began to 
preach, and to say. Repent : for the kingdom 
of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17.) 
(Good examples for preachers of to-day.) 

Paul, on his last journey to Jerusalem, 
stopping at Miletus, sent for the elders of 
the church at Ephesus, and declared how he 
had "Taught them publicly, and from house 
to house, testifying both to the Jews, and 
also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, 
and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." 
(Acts 20: 17-21.) In this passage Paul em- 
phasizes repentance and faith as the Alpha 
and Omega of the Gospel which he preached. 

Note : God's requirements of His creature 
man are not arbitrary; do not spring from 
His sovereignty — His right to command, and 
man's duty to obey — but from His love and 
goodwill for man. Look closely and it will 
be found that every obligation that God has 
laid upon man is founded in the best inter- 
est of man himself. 



98 SOME THINGS ESSENTIAL 

The principle of the above note applies to 
the doctrine of repentance. If God were to 
forgive the sinner in his impenitence, while 
he still loves and clings to his sins, he would 
not, could not, appreciate his forgiveness, he 
would still go on sinning. He is still away, 
far away from God: *'Your iniquities have 
separated between you and your God; and 
your sins have hid His face from you." 
(Isa. 59:2.) It is impossible for one to 
"love God with all his heart," and love and 
cling to his sins. Yes, sincere penitence, 
heartfelt sorrow and contrition for sin, is 
essential to salvation, to becoming Chris- 
tian and living a Christian life. 

Faith in Christ Essential. — Let us ever 
remember that faith is one of the two fun- 
damental doctrines emphasized by Paul in 
his message to the church at Ephesus : "Re- 
pentance toward God, and faith toward our 
Lord Jesus Christ;" and how faith is em- 
phasized by Christ Himself in those two 
remarkable passages in John 3 : 14-16, as an 
essential condition of obtaining eternal life. 
"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wil- 
derness, even so must the son of man be 
lifted up that whosoever believeth in him 
should not perish, but have eternal life. 
For God so loved the world that he gave his 



SOME THINGS ESSENTIAL 99 

only begotten Son that whosoever belie veth 
in him should not perish, but have eternal 
life." 

Belief and faith, as used in the Scriptures, 
are sometimes synonymous in meaning, but 
not always. In the passages quoted, and in 
many others, belief is faith. But when it 
is said, "The devils believe and tremble," we 
could hardly substitute "faith" for "believe." 
Consider this definition of faith : belief , con- 
fidence, trust. I may know and believe 
many things about that man who lives on 
Doubtful Street, or, perchance, it may be 
that man who lives in that fine mansion on 
High-up Street. You ask if I have confi- 
dence in him. I answer, "No; I could not 
feel sure of anything he might tell me, 
unless I knew from other sources that it 
were true." You push your query: "Can I 
trust that man?" I answer, "No; he is not 
reliable, I could not trust my affairs in his 
hands for a week." You see that with all 
my intellectual knowledge and belief about 
that man I have no faith in him. Now 
reverse the question : You ask if I have faith 
in that man. I answer, "I believe, I have 
confidence in him; I could trust my affairs 
in his hands, I have faith in him." 



100 SOME THINGS ESSENTIAL 

While belief in our Lord Jesus Christ is 
required as a condition of salvation, let us 
consider well that this belief must go deeper, 
mean more than a mere intellectual assent 
to the historical truth that Jesus is the 
Christ, the Son of God. The great majority 
of intelligent non-Christian men will give 
assent to that truth at once, and yet they 
are not saved. Romans 10 : 10 comes to our 
aid — fits the case exactly. "With the heart 
man believeth unto righteousness; and with 
the mouth confession is made unto salva- 
tion." The belief here goes deeper than the 
intellect. "With the heart man believeth;" 
this touches the will and the affections. The 
will yields, and accepts; the last bar is 
down, and the affections embrace Christ as 
personal Saviour. And now Paul says, in 
Romans 5 : 1-10, "Being justified by faith, 
we have peace with God through our Lord 
Jesus Christ .... the love of God hath 
been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy 
Spirit which was given unto us." 

The New Birth, Essential. Christianity, 
in its essence, is a life, spiritual life. This 
life is received by a birth, spiritual birth; 
just as really so as that one's natural life is 
received by his natural birth. In John's 
Gosped (1:12, 13) we have this declara- 



SOME THINGS ESSENTIAL 101 

tion : **To them gave He the right to become 
the children of God, even to them that be- 
live on His name; who were born, not of 
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the 
will of man, but of God/' And Jesus Him- 
self, in His specific teaching on this doctrine 
(as in John 3: 3-6) said, "Except a man be 
born again he cannot see the kingdom of 
God." "Except a man be born of water and 
the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom 
of God. That which is born of the flesh is 
flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit 
is Spirit." Nicodemus stumbled at this 
statement; he could not understand how a 
new or second birth could be. Jesus said 
unto him, "Marvel not that I said unto 
thee. Ye must be born again. The wind 
bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the 
sound thereof, but knowest not whence it 
Cometh, and whither it goeth, so is every one 
that is born of the Spirit." No one cavils 
at, denies, or even doubts the fact of the 
blowing of the wind because he does not 
understand all about it. He can feel it, and 
see its effects. Thus it is with one "born 
again," born by the agency of the Holy 
Spirit. The same truth is presented by 
Titus (3:5) as follows: "Not by works of 
righteousness which we have done, but 



102 SOME THINGS ESSENTIAL 

according to His mercy He saved us by the 
washing of regeneration, and renewing of 
the Holy Spirit." 

Here is the source and beginning of the 
Christian life. And this life. Christian life, 
in its nature is the same in all Christians 
everywhere in all the world where there are 
Christians. "For as many as are led by the 
Spirit of God, these are the sons of God." 
And, "If any have not the Spirit of Christ 
he is none of his." (Romans 8:9, 14.) 
And here again, as in the case of repent- 
ance and faith, the requirement is founded 
on a philosophical principle, growing out of 
the nature of the case. Man's nature, while 
he is in sin, being as it is, and things being 
as they are, man's happiness in heaven 
would require the new birth, or regeneration, 
if the Scriptures said nothing about it. So 
far as we know there can be no real delight, 
joy, and happiness in this world, or any 
other world, without an affinity between the 
individual, and the place, things, persons, 
and society to be enjoyed. 

Yes, the new birth, by the Holy Spirit, 
into the spiritual life, as taught in the Scrip- 
tures, is an essentially fundamental doctrine. 



CHAPTER VI. 



KNOWLEDGE OF GOD ESSENTIAL. 



SO far we have found that repentance 
and faith are essential steps that bring 
one to Christ for forgiveness and the 
blessing of the new birth. Now we are in 
a new world, with a life of service before us, 
with un-thoughtof allurements to draw us 
away. As the vision enlarges, and obliga- 
tions increase, the faith must be enlarging 
and strengthening; and for this, stronger 
meat, ^. e., new doctrines — Bible truths — are 
needed for the faith to rest upon. The most 
important of these foundation stones is a 
true and definite knowledge, not only intel- 
lectual but spiritual knowledge, of God and 
His Son Jesus Christ. 

The testimony of Jesus (John 17:3), 
*'This is life eternal, that they might know 
thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ 
whom thou ha^t sent" 

Let us connect with the above the follow- 
ing passage, from Hebrews 11: 6: '*He that 



104 KNOWLEDGE OF GOD 

Cometh to God must believe that He is, and 
that He is a rewarder of them that dili- 
gently seek Him." That He is — that He 
exists; exists as a living personal being. 

This fact, of a living personal God, rules 
out atheism, whether it be openly professed, 
or unconsciously manifested by the life. It 
rules out pure materialism, and pantheism. 
The latter is, perhaps, the most common 
among thinking men and the most danger- 
ous of all the philosophies that stand in the 
way of Christianity. 

The Scriptures offer no arguments to 
prove the existence of God, but take it as a 
universally admitted fact — which is the 
strongest evidence possible. The fourth 
word in the Bible — God: "In the beginning 
God." God is the source of all being. The 
name God appears thirty-one times in the 
first chapter of the Bible; about two thou- 
sand times in the book of Psalms alone. 
Under the name of God, Lord, Jehovah, 
some ten thousand times in the whole Bible. 

The idea of a god is the basis of all relig- 
ion — of all religions, pagan as well as Chris- 
tian. 

The material universe with her ten thou- 
sand voices is constantly proclaiming the 
existence, intelligence, and wisdom of God. 



KNOWLEDGE OF GOD 105 

Man's religious nature, and his natural 
instinct of prayer, are the hands of the soul 
reaching out after a god. So where the 
knowledge of the true God is not, man is 
manufacturing gods; and, hence, while idol- 
atry is heathenish, it is still philosophical, 
proving man's absolute need of the "true 
and living God," to whom the soul, in its 
deep wants, may come for help, safety, com- 
fort, and happiness. 

HIS NATURAL ATTRIBUTES 

Among the natural attributes generally 
attributed to God (who is a pure spiritual 
being) we mention the following: 

1. His self -existence — uncreated. 

2. His oneness — no other. 

3. His eternity — from everlasting to 
everlasting. 

4. His infinity — boundless. 

5. His omnipotence — possess all power. 

6. His omnipresence — present every- 
where. 

7. His omniscience — knoweth all things. 

HIS MORAL ATTRIBUTES 

God's moral attributes, expressive of His 
character, He revealed unto Moses, and to 
all succeeding generations, on Mt. Sinai, as 



106 KNOWLEDGE OF GOD 

recorded in Exodus 34 : 5-7 (read with its 
connections) : 

**And the Lord descended in the cloud, and 
stood with him (Moses) there, and proclaim- 
ed the name of the Lord: the Lord God merci- 
ful and gracious, long-suffering, and abund- 
ant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for 
thousands, and forgiving iniquity, transgres- 
sion and sin, and that will by no means clear 
the guilty/' 

What a wonderful and blessed revelation 
our God has given us of Himself ; His 

1. Grace, 

2. Mercy, 

3. Goodness, 

4. Truth, 

5. Long-suffering, 

6. Forgiveness, 

7. Justice- — "And will by no means clear 
the guilty." 

To these may be added, under the Chris- 
tian dispensation, Love. Love as manifested 
in Christ Jesus. 

How this revelation of the character of 
the "true and living God," challenges the 
love and allegiance of his creature, man ! 

Here are themes for a long series of ser- 
mons, or many volumes of books. Our pres- 
ent purpose, however, is to present some of 



KNOWLEDGE OF GOD 107 

our personal convictions as to one of God*s 
natural attributes, as revealed in the Scrip- 
tures; that is — 

His Oneness; and this only because of the 
importance of the subject. We know that 
Jesus said: "No man knoweth the Son but 
the Father; and no man knoweth the Fa- 
ther, but the Son, and he to whom the Son 
will reveal Him." The term "knowlege" 
here is understood to be in a relative sense, 
because as by the teachings of Jesus, some 
knowledge of God man must have, as eternal 
life is depending upon it. 

ON THE ONENESS OF GOD 

Said Jesus in His prayer to the Father: 
''This is life eternal, that they might know 
thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ 
whom thou hast sent." "Thee, the only true 
God." The great distinguishing feature be- 
tween Christianity and heathenism— Chris- 
tianity worships one God, heathenism wor- 
ships many gods. Hence the first and sec- 
ond commandments of the decalogue : 

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven 
image, or any likeness of anything that is in 
heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or 
that is in the water under the earth. Thou 



108 KNOWLEDGE OF GOD 

shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor 
serve them." (Exodus 20: 3-5.) 

This law, with the remainder of the ten 
commandments, written by God Himself 
on tables of stone, has never been repealed, 
or superceded. 

There are more than one hundred Scrip- 
ture passages that teach the oneness of God. 
Let us read a few of them, emphasizing the 
"one." From the Old Testament: "Hear, 
Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord." 
(Deuteronomy 6:4.) "Look unto me, and 
be ye saved, .... for I am God, and there 
is none else.'' (Isaiah 46: 9.) 

The New Testament teaches the same 
truth: "Now a mediator is not a mediator 
of one, but God is one." (Galatians 3: 20.) 
And "There is one God, and one mediator 
between God and men, the man Christ Je- 
sus." (1 Timothy 2:5.) One more: "For 
though there be that are called gods ... as 
there be gods many and lords many, but to 
us there is but one God, the father, of whom 
are all things, and we in him ; and one Lord 
Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and 
we by him." (1 Corinthians 8:6.) 

Thus the Scriptures teach the absolute 
oneness of God. Some of to-day, and many 
of yesterdays — have egregiously departed 



KNOWLEDGE OF GOD 109 

from the simplicity of the Word, and in 
their creeds, theological books, writings, and 
sometimes in their sermons, speak of God 
and His Son Jesus Christ under terms and 
epithets that are entirely human, and some of 
them in direct contradiction to the absolute 
oneness of God, as taught in the Scripture 
quotations as given above, such as, — 

"Triad, triune, trinity, holy trinity, ever- 
blessed trinity: God-man, God the Son, God 
the Holy Ghost, incarnate God, three-one 
God, very God and very man; three persons 
in one God; first persoE, second person, 
third person in the adorable trinity; the 
sacred three, co-equal, co-essential, co-eter- 
nal; tri-personal deity; supreme deity of 
Jesus Christ," and other similar terms, none 
of which are to be found in the Bible. The 
unbiased mind is likely to ask, *'If the ideas 
expressed by any or all of these terms are 
Scriptural ideas, why do not the Scriptures 
use these terms to express the ideas? Why 
not? Is it possible that God, that Jesus 
Christ, the prophets and apostles, even 
though speaking by inspiration, knew not 
the best words and terms by which to reveal 
the glorious character and perfection of God 
our Heavenly Father, and His Son Jesus 
Christ our Saviour! 



110 KNOWLEDGE OF GOD 

Though, as we said, we do not find such 
expressions or forms of teaching in the 
Bible, the most of them can easily be traced 
back to their origin. 

THE TRINITY OF HUMAN ORIGIN 

It may be interesting to the general 
reader, as well as the young student, to note 
a few facts of history bearing on the doc- 
trine of the "only true God," and of His Son 
Jesus Christ. 

Gibbon, in his "Decline and Fall of the 
Roman Empire," says: 

"Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch, was the 
first who employed the word Trinity, that 
abstract term which was already familiar 
with the schools of philosophy," (They had 
about all kinds of philosophies in those days 
that the human imagination could invent) 
"and must have been introduced into the 
theology of the Christians after the middle 
of the second century." 

Second stage: "Mosheim's Church His- 
tory," page 73: 

"The controversies relating to the divine 
Trinity, which took their rise in the former 
century, from the introduction of the Gre- 
cian philosophy into the Christian Church, 
were now spreading with considerable vigor, 
and produced various methods of explaining 
the inexplicable doctrine." 



KNOWLEDGE OF GOD 111 

We now pass with Mosheim to the Coun- 
cil of Nice, held in 325 A. D. He says : 

"The disputes carried on in the Council 
of Nice, concerning the three persons in the 
Godhead, so little light, precision, and order 
reigned in their discourses, that they ap- 
peared to substitute three gods in the place 
of one." 

At another of these councils, held in 
Egypt, Mosheim says: (page 111.) 

"The subject of this warm controversy, 
which kindled such deplorable divisions 
throughout the Christian world, was the 
doctrine of three persons in the Godhead, a 
doctrine which, in the three preceding cen- 
turies, had happily escaped the vain curios- 
ity of human research and been left unde- 
fined and undetermined by any particular 
set of ideas." 

THE TRINITY RECEIVES ITS FINISHING TOUCH 

And so the process of formation went on 
until in the year 381, A. D., in a council 
called by Theodosius, at Constantinople, in 
which, as Mosheim tells us : 

"A hundred and fifty bishops, who were 
present at this council, gave the finishing 
touch to what the council of Nice had left 
imperfect, and fixed in a full and determined 
manner, the doctrine of three persons in 
one God." 



112 KNOWLEDGE OF GOD 

During the third and fourth centuries 
very many councils were held, called by and 
made up mainly by emperors and bishops, 
(a coalition of church and state, of which 
coalition Constantine was the great leader), 
the object of these councils being to settle 
theological and philosophical questions, large- 
ly to settle theological questions. In the 
discussion of these questions the Bible seems 
to have seldom been referred to. The 
truth (?) of the question was settled (?) by 
a vote of the council, or sometimes by the 
edict of an emperor. The defeated party 
would be branded as heretics, excommuni- 
cated, persecuted, imprisoned, exiled, and, 
oh, so often, martyred! The history of the 
persecutions and martyrdoms of those who 
could not conscientiously endorse some of 
the decisions of these councils — inclusive of 
those mentioned in the extracts above — 
would fill volumes. 

"Is it any wonder that with such condi- 
tions prevailing for centuries, the Bible 
ignored and the creeds worshiped, the true 
teachings of the Bible on many subjects 
were completely lost sight of? Is it any 
wonder that, when in the sixteenth century 
God began to bring the Bible back to the 
attention of the world, it was burned by the 



KNOWLEDGE OF GOD 113 

bishops in front of St. Paul's Cathedral in 
London?^' 

The days of such religious persecutions 
are past (and let us hope forever), espe- 
cially in what are denominated as Christian 
lands. This freedom from persecution may 
be credited to two causes: first, the larger, 
and increasing prevalence of the pure Chris- 
tian spirit ; second, the granting of religious 
freedom by our civil laws. Where these 
laws have not prevailed persecutions and 
martyrdoms, for religious convictions, have 
and do prevail. 

Yes, the doctrine that God is — exists — and 
that He is "the only true God," is funda- 
mental; we may say, the most fundamental 
doctrine in the whole Christian system. 



CHAPTER VII. 



JESUS CHRIST THE SON OF GOD 



THAT it is essential for our salvation 
that our faith embrace Jesus Christ 
the Son of God, see the following 
passages: "Thou shalt call his name Jesus: 
for He shall save His people from their 
sins." (Matthew 1:21.) 'Tor there is 
none other name under heaven given among 
men, whereby we must be saved; neither is 
there salvation in any other." (Acts 4: 12.) 
"These are written that ye might believe 
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God ; and 
that believing ye might have life through his 
name." (John 20:30, 31.) "This is life 
eternal that they might know thee the only 
true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast 
sent." (John 17 : 3.) "Who is he that over- 
cometh the world, but he that believeth that 
Jesus is the Son of God." (1 John 5:5.) 

In this blessed truth let us rejoice, that 
in Jesus Christ we have a Savior; one who 
is not only able, but is ever willing to save us 



116 JESUS CHRIST THE SON 

from our sins, and give us an assurance of 
heaven by and by. 

Christ the Son of God. — Christians are 
sometimes spoken of as sons of God, but in 
a limited sense ; but Christ in a higher sense, 
in a sense that no other is called His Son. 
Both at His baptism and His transfiguration 
the Father acknowledged Christ as His "be- 
loved Son." Seven times in the New Testa- 
ment Christ is spoken of as the "only begot- 
ten Son of God." Hence our blessed Savior 
is not a son of God; but the Son of God, in 
the superlative, or highest sense possible. 

Christ, in Personality, Distinct from His 
Father. — We accept and use the term per- 
sonality, not in some mystical, parabolical, 
undefinable, un-understandable sense, but in 
its plain, literal meaning as defined by the 
dictionaries : Lock — "A thinking, intelligent 
being." Webster — "We apply the word per- 
son to living beings only possessed of a ra- 
tional nature." The Standard Dictionary — 
"Any being having life, intelligence, will, 
and having separate individual existence." 

To this writer the Bible very plainly 
teaches, and his faith lovingly embraces, the 
fact that God's Son Jesus Christ is a person, 
a living intelligent being — not labelled and 
numbered as the second person in a triune 



JESUS CHPwIST THE SON 117 

God, and at the same time being the "very 
and eternal God," as per the creeds of men 
— but in person separate in being from God, 
His Father. We refer to but a few of the 
many passages that teach this truth: 

"To us there is but one God, the Father, 
of whom are all things, and we in Him ; and 
one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all 
things and we by Him." (1 Corinthians 
8:6.) "For there is one God, and one medi- 
ator between God and men, the man Christ 
Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5.) "Between"— 
the distinction between Christ and God be- 
ing just as real as between Christ and man. 
After His resurrection, Christ "was received 
up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of 
God." The student will notice that a num- 
ber of passages, and in several of the books 
of the Bible, Christ is spoken of as being at 
God's right hand. It was here that Stephen, 
the first Christian martyr, saw Him, — "Being 
full of the Holy Ghost, he looked up stead- 
fastly into heaven, and saw the glory of 
God, and Jesus standing on the right hand 
of God." A blessed vision for the dying 
saint! The Son says: "Both me and my 
Father," which shows plainly as language 
can that He was one being and His Father 
another being. 



118 JESUS CHRIST THE SON 

"According to every analogy in language 
the terms Father and Son imply, not only a 
distinction in meaning, but a distinction in 
person or being; just as truly as Father and 
Mother, Brother and Sister, imply distinc- 
tion in being." 

But are not God and Christ sometimes 
spoken of in the Scriptures as one? Cer- 
tainly; and so the husband and wife are 
spoken of as one; and Paul and Silas are 
spoken of as one. Paul said, ''I have plant- 
ed, Apollos watered . . . Now he that plant- 
eth and he that watereth are one." (1 Cor- 
inthians 3:6-8.) Because of these state- 
ments no one supposes that the husband and 
wife are one person, or that Paul and Silas 
were one person. The meaning is obvious. 
And so Christ prayed for His disciples, 
"That they may all he one .... that they 
may he one even as we are one: I in them, 
and thou in Me." "Even as we are one," 
surely not meaning one in person or being, 
but one in Spirit, purpose, plan, and work 
for the salvation of man, and the extension 
of the Lord's kingdom. 

CHRIST'S PRE-EXISTENCE 
On this point we have the testimony of 
Christ Himself: "And now, Father, glor- 
ify thou me with thine own self with the 



JESUS CHRIST THE SON 119 

glory which / had with thee before the 
ivorld was/' (The italics are mine.) "/ 
came forth from the Father, and am come 
into the world;" again, *7 leave the world 
and go to the Father/* Hard to mistake 
the meaning of these passages. We quote 
John 1:1, 2 : "In the beginning was the 
Word, and the Word was with God, and the 
Word was God. The same was in the be- 
ginning with God." Note : the word "with" 
is used twice. Some Greek scholars give it 
this way : "In the beginning was the Logos, 
and the Logos was with the God and the 
Logos was a god. The same was in the be- 
ginning with the God." Either rendering 
teaches Christ's pre-existence. 

"All things were made by him." Note : it 
does not say that Christ made all things, or 
created all things, but that they were made 
by Him. 

Here the attention of the reader or stu- 
dent is called to Hebrews 1 : 1-3. It is safe 
to substitute the noun for its pronouns, and 
by noting carefully the use of the word "by" 
in these passages you may get a key to an 
understanding of other passages in the 
Bible: 

"God, who at sundry times and in divers 
manners spake in times past unto the 



120 JESUS CHRIST THE SON 

fathers by the prophets" (the prophets as 
His agencies), "hath in these last days 
spoken unto us by His Son, whom He (God) 
hath appointed heir of all things, by whom 
He (God) made the worlds; who (Christ), 
being the brightness of His (God's) glory, 
and the express image of His (God's) per- 
son, and upholding all things by the word 
of His power, when he had by himself 
(Christ) purged our sins, sat down on the 
right hand of the majesty on high." 

It seems clear that as the prophets were 
the agencies by which God spake .... so 
Christ was the instrumental agency in the 
work of creation, and redemption. And it 
is by Him, also, that God will judge the 
world. 

CHRIST'S INCARNATION 

The fact of Christ's incarnation is set 
forth in the following Scripture passages: 

The Word: "Jesus Christ .... took on 
Him the form of a servant, and was made 
in the likeness of man." (Phil. 2:5-7.) 
"Jesus Christ was made of the seed of 
David according to the flesh." "He (Christ) 
took not on Him the nature of angels; but 
the seed of Abraham." (Hebrews 2:16.) 
The "Word being made flesh," as in John 
1 : 14, is the same as the taking the form of 



JESUS CHRIST THE SON 121 

a servant and being made in the likeness of 
man. 

Note well: it was not God, or "the very 
God," who took on Him the seed of Abra- 
ham and David, and was born of the Virgin 
Mary, according to the prophecies that went 
before; but it was the Son of God, who was 
"the brightness of God's glory, and the ex- 
press image of His (God's) person," who 
had a glory with the Father before the 
world was, and by whom God made all 
things. And, perhaps, to whom God said, 
"Let us make man in our image, after our 
likeness." 

Read Hebrews 10 : 5-9 : "Wherefore, when 
he (Christ) cometh into the world, he saith, 
Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but 
a body hast thou prepared me." A faint 
illustration of the writer's understanding of 
this passage is: the pre-existent Christ, as 
the soul of that body, while in the flesh, 
sustained something of the same relation to 
the body as man's soul does to his body. 
Doesn't the soul of man suffer under phys- 
ical pain? Any way, the material body can- 
not suffer after the soul has gone out 
from it. 

The prophet Isaiah, in that wonderful 
fifty-third chapter, said: "Yet it pleased 



122 JESUS CHRIST THE SON 

Jehovah to bruise him; he hath put him to 
grief: when thou shalt make his soul an 
offering for sin." This takes us to Gethse- 
mane. It is the last and most tragic night 
of Christ's sojourn on the earth. Only a 
few hours and the mock trial will be over, 
and the nails will be driven. He saw it all, 
"and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 
Then saith He unto them, My soul is exceed- 
ing sorrowful, even unto death." His last 
words on the cross : "Father, into Thy hands 
I commend my Spirit." 

Christ's incarnation, and the design and 
blessings of it, are set forth in Hebrews 
2 : 9-18. Here we see a blending of the 
divine and the human. Verse 14, "For as 
much as the children are partakers of flesh 
and blood, he also himself took part of the 
same; that through death he might destroy 
him that had the power of death, that is the 
devil." 

God was His father; Mary was His 
mother. Thus a blending of the divine and 
the human. Why? Verse 10, "For it be- 
came him for whom are all things and by 
whom are all things, in bringing many sons 
unto glory, to make the captain of their sal- 
vation perfect through suffering." Perfect- 
ed as a Saviour. As "Mediator between God 



JESUS CHRIST THE SON 123 

and man," and enabling Him the better to 
sympathize with man — His tempted, tried 
and suffering followers here on earth. "For 
in that He hath suffered, being tempted, He 
is able to succor them that are tempted." 
Praise the Lord for such a Saviour. 

And so Jesus Christ, in regard to what is 
termed His human nature, was much more 
than a *'high type" of man, as per ultra 
Unitarianism ; or as "very man" as per 
Trinitarianism. 

Joseph was not the father of any part of 
Jesus Christ. God was the father, through 
the agency of the Holy Spirit, of all there 
was of Him, when He was here upon the 
earth. 

JESUS CHRIST DIVINE 

"Do you believe that Jesus Christ was, and 
is, divine?" Most assuredly. And so does the 
"Christian Church" believe in the divinity of 
Jesus Christ. To say they do not is an un- 
warranted assertion! 

That like produces like, is one of the laws 
of nature. My father was human, hence I 
am human. Jesus Christ, the "only begot- 
ten Son of God," inherited the nature of His 
Father ; and hence is divine. With the name 
which He inherited from His Father (He- 



124 JESUS CHRIST THE SON 

brews 1 : 4-8) came also, in large measure, 
the attributes of God His Father. Hence 
His wisdom and power. He spake as never 
man spake; He taught as "one having au- 
thority ;" He had power over physical infirm- 
ities, performed miracles of healing without 
number ; He had power over the elements of 
nature. It is not strange, therefore, if we 
find the same or similar works sometimes 
attributed to the Father, and some times to 
the Son. But the Son recognizes the source 
of His power, saying: "The works that I do 
are not mine, but the Father's who sent 
me." "The works that I do in my Father's 
name; they testify of me." (John 10: 25.) 

Again we refer to the Gethsemane scene, 
and note one passage of Luke's description 
of that tragic hour : "Being in an agony, he 
prayed more earnestly: and Ms sweat was 
as it were great drops of blood falling down 
to the ground" Connect with this his addi- 
tional sufferings that followed — the thorns, 
the nails, the spear. Were these sufferings 
real? Most assuredly; and all admit this. 
Again the mind queries, who was it that 
suffered? Was it the "perfect man" of the 
Unitarian hypothesis; and the "very man" 
of the Trinitarian hypothesis? If so, is 
there any real difference, on this point, be- 



JESUS CHRIST THE SON 125 

tween Unitarianism and Trinitarianism? If 
anything more than our Trinitarian broth- 
ers' "very man" suffered, then it must have 
been his "very God" that suffered and died! 
The very and eternal God agonizing! 
Sweating great drops of blood! Dying! 
My soul shrinks, is horified at the thought. 
No! No!! No!!! My faith says it was 
neither the very and eternal God, nor a very 
man, but the Divine Son of the Divine 
Father that suffered and died; that we 
through Him might have life. Bless His 
holy name! 

"Then cometh the end, when he shall have 
delivered up the kingdom of God, even the 
Father; when he shall have put down all 
rule and all authority and power. For he 
must reign, till he hath put all enemies 
under his feet. The last enemy that shall 
be destroyed is death. For he hath put all 
things under his feet. But when he saith all 
things are put under Mm, it is manifest that 
he is excepted, which did put all things 
under him. And when all things shall be 
subdued unto him, then shall the Son also 
himself be subject unto him that put all 
things under him, that God may be all in 
all." (1 Corinthians 15 : 24-28.) 



CHAPTER VIII. 



ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 



YES, this author believes in the Father, 
and in the Son, and in the Holy- 
Spirit. We have, in a brief manner, 
given our views of, and reasons for our 
faith in, the Father and His Son. We feel a 
conviction of duty to speak also of the Holy- 
Spirit. In doing this we may observe the 
following order: 

1. What the Holy Spirit is not. 

2. What the Holy Spirit is. 

3. The power of, and the great necessity 
for the Holy Spirit. 

4. Some of the offices or functions of the 
Holy Spirit. 

THE HOLY SPIRIT NOT A PERSON 

Not in the meaning of the term person as 
given in the dictionaries, and as understood 
in every-day use — "A thinking, intelligent 
being having separate individual existence," 
not in the sense in which some of the creeds 



128 ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 

put it, as being of one substance, power, and 
eternity with the Father and the Son — very 
and eternal God. The Holy Spirit is repre- 
sented in the Scriptures as something that 
may be poured out (Joel 2:28.) "I will 
pour out my Spirit upon all flesh ; and your 
sons and your daughters shall prophesy," 
etc. (Acts 2: 17, 18.) It would be incon- 
gruous to speak of pouring out a person. 

The Holy Spirit is spoken of as something 
that may be given by measure (John 3 : 34) : 
"God gave not the Spirit by measure unto 
Him." 

The Holy Spirit is something with which 
one may be anointed (Acts 10:38) : "God 
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy 
Ghost and with power." According to the 
Trinitarian hypothesis the First person 
anointed the Second person with the Third 
person! The creeds say, these "three per- 
sons are of one substance, power, and eter- 
nity!" 

The Holy Spirit is spoken of as something 
in which, or with which, one may be bap- 
tized. These and other similar terms, as 
applied to the Holy Spirit, exclude the idea 
of personality. 

Other considerations: Jesus said, "He 
that confesseth me before men, him will I 



ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 129 

confess before my Father, and the holy- 
angels." Why not before the Holy Spirit 
also, if the Holy Spirit is a person equal 
with the Father and the Son? 

We are admonished to love God. "Thou 
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy 
heart (Matthew 22 : 37) ; and to love the 
Son: "If any man love not the Lord Jesus 
Christ let him be anathema maranatha," (1 
Corinthians 16:22). But there is no Bible 
requirement to love the Holy Spirit. So 
neither is there Scripture evidence that the 
Holy Spirit loves. How is this, if "The 
Holy Ghost is of one substance, majesty, and 
glory with the Father, and the son, very and 
eternal God,'' as the creeds declare? 

There is no Biblical command, precept, or 
example for worshiping the Holy Spirit; 
praying to, offering thanks or praises to the 
Holy Spirit. We are encouraged both by the 
Scriptures and by our necessities to pray for 
the Holy Spirit (Luke 11 : 13) and we thank 
and praise God for the gift, power, and 
blessing of the Holy Spirit. 

Are not personal pronouns sometimes 
used in speaking of the Holy Spirit? Yes; 
and, as to the correctness of this, scholars 
do not agree. Some linguists say, "it" is 
the proper word to use when speaking of 



130 OJST THE HOLY SPIRIT 

things without sex. It is so used in John 
1 : 32, "John bare record, saying, I saw the 
Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, 
and it abode upon him" (Christ). In every- 
day conversation things without life, and 
consequently without personality, personal 
pronouns are often used. The Sun is giv- 
ing his heat; the moon is reflecting her dim 
light, etc. 

No, the fact that the terms he, his, him, 
are a few times used, in reference to the 
Holy Spirit, does not signify that the Holy 
Spirit is a person. "The third person in the 
adorable Trinity; very and eternal God." 

WHAT IS THE HOLY GHOST .^ 

2. Answer : The Spirit of God; as in the 
second verse of the Bible: "The Spirit of 
God moved upon the face of the waters." 
Read also 1 Corinthians 2 : 11, "What 
man knoweth the things of a man, save the 
spirit of man which is in him? Even so the 
things of God knoweth no man, but the 
Spirit of God." One writer puts it this way : 
"The Spirit of God is that which belongs 
to Him as His Spirit." 

The Holy Spirit I understand to be that 
in God by which he is enabled to be every- 
where present; to act and communicate, 
either directly or through other agencies. 



ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 131 

It is frequently applied to the productive, 
efficient emanations of the divine fullness. 

In Psalm 84 : 11 is this metaphorical 
expression: "The Lord God is a sun and 
shield." Wherein is the likeness to be un- 
derstood between God and the sun in the 
heavens? Perhaps this at least, in light, in 
heat, and in power. Put out forever the 
light of the sun and this earth will be in 
midnight darkness. With the elimination of 
the light of the sun goes his heat; and the 
earth, with all life is congealed. Figure up, 
if you can, the influence, power, and blessing 
of the material sun upon this earth. Yes, 
the influence emanating from the sun upon 
this earth! 

And so to the moral world, to the individ- 
ual Christian, and to the church of Jesus 
Christ, "The Lord God is a sun." Through 
the agency and influence of His Spirit giv- 
ing life, warmth, power, blessings — bless- 
ings innumerable and inexpressible, and 
often full of glory. Let thanks be ever 
given to God for His wondrous gift of the 
Holy Spirit, by which His "love is shed 
abroad in our hearts." (Romans 5: 1-5.) 

POWER AND NECESSITY OF THE SPIRIT 

Christ's last command to His disciples be- 
fore His ascension was for them to "tarry at 



132 ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 

Jerusalem until they were endued with 
power from on high." (Luke 24 : 49.) With 
these words, (as recorded also by Luke, 
Acts 1:8), "Ye shall receive power after 
that the Holy Spirit is come upon you : and 
ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jeru- 
salem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and 
unto the uttermost part of the earth." 

They did tarry until Pentecost. Note this 
fact: that the disciples had received of the 
Holy Spirit before Pentecost. The evening 
of the same day that Jesus arose from the 
dead He went to the house "where the disci- 
ples were assembled for fear of the Jews, 
and stood in the midst .... and said unto 
them. Peace be unto you : as my Father hath 
sent me, even so send I you. And when he 
had said this, he breathed on them, and 
saith unto them. Receive ye the Holy 
Ghost." (John 20:19-22.) The disciples 
were now what to-day would be recognized 
as converted Christians. But they had not 
yet received the "enduing power," or the 
"baptism of the Holy Ghost," which they 
were to receive "not many days hence." So 
they obeyed, and "tarried," spending much 
of the time in an upper room, with the 
young Jerusalem church, now numbering 
about one hundred and twenty — in "prayer 



ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 133 

and supplication." (Acts 1:14, 15.) At 
the end of these days Pentecost had come, 
and "they were all of one accord in one 
place .... and they were all filled with the 
Holy Ghost." (Acts 2 : 1-4.) 

What now happened? Wonderful revivals 
followed; and souls by the three and four 
thousand were converted. Note this individ- 
ual case: Notwithstanding the fact that 
Peter was a loyal, spirit-born Christian, he 
could not have preached three thousand 
souls into the kingdom, one week or one 
day before receiving the baptismal enduing 
power on the day of Pentecost. This special 
enduement of spiritual power seems to have 
been necessary then, is necessary now, for 
the highest degree of Christian service. 

Now we have the secret of the marvelous 
growth of the church during the Apostolic 
Age. There was no fanaticism in the Pente- 
costal revival: there was a marked degree 
of spiritual power. And pity, pity, pity 
the minister and the church of to-day that 
has nothing of the Pentecostal fire and 
Pentecostal power. 

"They were all filled with the Holy Ghost" 
on the day of Pentecost. Yes, and so were 
others later on. The seven deacons were to 
be men of "honest report full of the Holy 



134 ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 

(Aiost and wisdom/' (Acts 6:3.) Stephen, 
''being fvll of the Holy Ghost, looked up 
steadfastly into heaven, and saw the Glory 
of God, and Jesus standing on the right 
hand of God." (Acts 7:55.) There are 
many Bible recorded instances of saints be- 
ing filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Sixty years after Pentecost, Paul, to the 
church at Ephesus, commands, ''Be filled 
with the Spirit J' (Ephesians 5:18.) And 
the echo comes ringing down through the 
ages to every child of God: BE FILLED 
WITH THE SPIRIT. 

Turn to Ephesians 3 : 14-19, and see Paul 
on his knees in his prison room in Rome, 
and listen to his wonderful prayer for the 
church at Ephesus. The first petition of his 
prayer is that they may be "strengthened 
with power by the Spirit, in the inner man." 
The prayer closes with, ''That ye might be 
filled with all the fullness of God." The 
source of their strength and power was to 
be the Holy Spirit; and the climax of the 
blessing desired for them was that they 
''might he filled with all the fullness of 
Godr 

SOME FUNCTIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 

To mention some of the functions by 
which God works through the agency of the 



ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 135 

Holy Spirit may be helpful to some readers 
or young students. In doing this, to save 
space, in the main, only the book, chapter, 
and verse where the Scripture teaching may 
be found, are given: 

1. The inspiration of the Scriptures: 
2 Timothy 3 : 16 ; 2 Peter 1 : 21. 

2. Convicting the world of sin : John 16 : 
8, 9. How is this done? Mainly by the 
"Word of God," which is the "sword of the 
Spirit," the sword which the spirit wields. 

3. The efficient agent in the sinner's 
conversion : John 3:6-8; Titus 3:5, 6 ; 1 
Corinthians 12 : 13. 

4. An evidence of conversion: Romans 
8: 16; 1 John 4: 13. 

5. The distribution of the various gifts 
in the church : 1 Corinthians 14 : 4-11. 
Note closely. 

6. A help in our infirmities: Romans 
8:26. 

7. To comfort the Saints : John 14 : 17. 

8. The most efficient — the climax of all 
equipments for the preacher of the Gospel, 
and for all Christian workers: Acts 1:8; 
1 Corinthians 2 : 4. 

9. How obtained? By prayer, through 
faith : Luke 11 : 13 ; Galatians 3 : 14. 



136 ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 

10. Furnishes the soul-satisfying ban- 
quet for all O'f God's children who will par- 
take — love, joy, peace, long-suffering, geru- 
tleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temper- 
ance. (Gal. 5 : 22, 23.) Amen. 



EXPLANATORY 

The views the writer has given of the 
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are his coiv- 
victions of the Bible teachings in relation 
thereto. But he does not hold these convic- 
tions for himself as a condition of Christian 
fellowship or co-operation in Christian serv- 
ice with Christians who may hold different 
views; nor does he recommend that others 
so use them. Christianity is a life, spiritual 
life, "hid with Christ in God." Which life 
should be made manifest by loyalty to God*s 
word and service in the church of Jesus 
Christ. 

Christianity, in its real essentials, like 
God its author, is one and the same thing 
everywhere. As we view it, to make, or to 
hold on to any creedal or verbal condition 
that stands in the way of any Christian's 
fellowship in the local church, or in the way 
of any local church, or denomination uniting 
with all others to form the one chuch, can 
hardly be considered less than a crime 
against our blessed Lord and His Kingdom. 

''That they all may be one; as Thou, 
Father, art in me, and I in thee that they 



138 EXPLANATORY 

all may he one in its: that the world may 
believe that thou didst send me . , . , thM 
they may he one even as we are one*' 



SUGGESTED BASIS FOR A UNIFIED 
CHURCH 

1. The Bible— The only creed; a suffi- 
cient rule for faith and practice. 

2. Christian^ — The proper name for indi- 
vidual believers and the church of Jesus 
Christ. 

3. Christian character, or vital piety, the 
proper credential to individual and church 
fellowship. 

4. Christ and His Apostles — The ulti- 
mate authority in the church. 

5. In matters of doctrine, government, 
ordinancial practice — The right of private 
judgment and liberty of conscience. 

6. Autonomy of the local church. 



INDEX 

Page 

Unity of the Church, Opening Text 21 

Chist's Church Impregnable 23 

The Foundation 24 

Its Oneness— In What Sense Plural 25, 26 

The Church Under the Figure of — 

One Body 27 

One Vineyard 28 

One Flock, One Shepherd 28 

One Family 28 

Of Whom Is the Church Composed 29 

Unity Of the Church Enjoined 30 

Nature Of — Spiritual and Organic Union 31, 32 

Divisions in the Church Condemned 32 

Sect Body, Sect Spirit— Foster Each Other 34 

Evils of Divisions — 

Cause of Weakness 34 

Money Waste 36 

Stumbling Block 38 

Better Conditions Longed For — ^^Growing Better 39, 40 

BASIC PRINCIPLES 

All-Sufficiency of the Scriptures 41 

For a Church Embodying Divine Life a Divine 

Law Is Necessary 43 

Basic Principle Stated. Scriptures Alone 

Sufficient for Doctrine 43, 44 

Sufficient for Faith 47 

Sufficient for Eeproof 48 

Sufficient for Keeping Out Error 48 

How the Bible Will Keep Out Heresy 50 

Sufficient for Discipline — 

In Case of An Erring Brother 52 

In Case of Personal Offenses 53 

In Case of Gross Immorality 53 



I>age 

Sufficient for Practical Christian Living 54 

In the Domestic Relations of Life 54 

In Church Matters 55 

In the Social and Business Relations of Life 55 

God's Estimate of His Own Book 56 

If the Church Only Believed 57 

Individual Interpretation, Not Repudiation. .. .59-61 

CONDITION OP FELLOWSHIP 

Vital Piety—Christian Character 63, 64 

Both Scriptural and Philosophical 66 

This Test is Specific Enough 67 

Is Restrictive Enough 68 

Is Broad Enough 70 

Rejection On Non-essentials 71, 72 

Illustration — On Baptism 73-75 

No Doctrinal Statement On Which Christians 
Disagree Should Be Made a Condition of 

Christian Fellowship 75, 76 

What We Plead For .76-78 

THE NAME FOR THE CHURCH 

Christian, Divinely Given 80-84 

The Family Name 85 

Its Appropriateness 86 

Other Names Fragmentary, Sectional. 87, 88 

A Supposed Case, Which Is Real 89 

Names, Not Titles 88, 90 

Reasons for the Name Christian — 

It Was Divinely Given 

It Expresses Our Relation to Christ and 
Honors Him 

It Is the Natural and Inherited Name 

Loved By All Believers Every Where 

No Taint of Sectarianism In It 

Because Of Its Fullness and All-sufficiency 92, 93 



SOME TRUTHS FUNDAMENTAL 

Truths Fundamental, Held in Common, and Are 

Necessary , .95, 96 

Repentance Essential — Reaesons Why .97, 98 

Faith In Christ Essential 98 

Belief and Faith Not Always the Same 99, 100 

The New Spiritual Birth Essential 101 

Reasons Why 102 

KNOWLEDGE OF GOD FUNDAMENTAL 

Idea of a God, Basis of All Religions 104 

God's Natural Attributes 105 

God's Moral Attributes, or Perfections 105, 106 

On the Oneness of God 107 

Un-scriptural Terms Applied to the Father and 

the Son 109 

The Doctrine of the Trinity Traced, Historically, 

to Its Origin 110, 111 

Received Its "Finishing Touch" Ill 

The Persecutions and Martyrdoms That Follow- 
ed the Conscientious Rejection of Council 
Decisions 112, 113 

KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST FUNDAMENTAL 

Jesus Christ the Son of God 115 

Christ, in Personality, Distinct From His Fa- 
ther 116-118 

Christ's Pre-existence 118, 119 

Christ's Incarnation 120, 121 

Reasons For, and Blessings of 122, 123 

Jesus Christ Divine 123, 124 

Not Joseph, But God, Was the Father of 

Jesus Christ 123 

Trinitarianism and Unitarianism Meeting in 

Gethsemane 124, 125 

ON the holy spirit 
The Holy Spirit Not a Person 127 



Pagre 
Why Not? Holy Spirit Spoken of As 
Something That May Be 
Poured Out 
Given By Measure 
Anointed With . 

May Be Baptized In, or With 128 

We Are Commanded to Love God, and the Son 
of God ; but No Bible Requirement 
To Love the Holy Spirit 
To Worship the Holy Spirit 
To Pray to the Holy Spirit 
To Give Thanks to the Holy Spirit 
To Praise the Holy Spirit 
But why not, if the Holy Spirit is a person, "co- 
equal and co-eternal" with the Father and 
the Son, "very and eternal God," as taught 

by some of the creeds of to-day? 129 

We Are Encouraged to Pray For, and We Thank 

God For, the Holy Spirit 129 

On the Use of Personal Pronouns 130 

An Illustration 131 

Power and Necessity of the Holy Spirit 132 

The Holy Spirit and Pentecost. 133, 134 

Some Functions of the Holy Spirit. 135, 136 

Explanatory 137 

Suggested Basis for a Unified Church 139 



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